Toys2017-08-18T02:57:25+08:00prnasia.comhttp://en.prnasia.com/story/2017-07-13T13:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/182715-0.shtmlTOKYO, July 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Good Smile Company, Inc., a premier Japanese collectible figure maker, announced on July 11, 2017, that Mercy will be the third character from Overwatch (R), Blizzard Entertainment's internationally acclaimed team shooter, to become part of Good Smile Company's Nendoroid series of collectible figurines, joining the previously announced Nendoroid Tracer and Nendoroid Mei figures.

Nendoroid Mercy is fully articulated, including movable translucent wings, which allows for a range of dynamic and relaxed poses. The wings can also be removed to display her in positions similar to her emotes and victory poses. Mercy comes complete with two different face plates, including a gentle smiling face as well as a serious-looking expression for combat scenes. Her staff comes with interchangeable parts allowing you to switch between the closed and opened tip, and an effect part is included to display her healing other characters -- be sure to display her with the other Overwatch Nendoroids!

Nendoroid Mercy is now available for preorder at the GOODSMILE ONLINE SHOP (http://goodsmileshop.com/en/) and at participating retailers worldwide. Information on other upcoming Overwatch Nendoroid and figma figures will be made available soon.

Established in 2001, Good Smile Company is the worldwide leader in Japanese hobby products and services including the design, manufacturing and marketing of collectible figurines. Known for creating highly detailed collectibles, Good Smile Company's quality of production, sculpting, and manufacturing are known industry-wide as a new standard for Japanese anime/manga/video game characters. The company is actively involved in other new areas such as animation production/development and the motor sports business. More information about Good Smile Company can be found at www.goodsmile.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft (R), Hearthstone (R), Overwatch (R), the Warcraft (R), StarCraft (R), and Diablo (R) franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm (R), Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes twenty-one #1 games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

SINGAPORE, April 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and Seatrade are launching a first-of-its-kind Lego competition for tertiary students at Sea Asia 2017 as part of an initiative to give students pursuing a maritime-related education greater industry insight and exposure to the industry.

With support from The Panama Canal Authority, three groups of students from the Singapore Maritime Academy (Singapore Polytechnic), Ngee Ann Polytechnic and ITE College Central will be tasked to compete and recreate part of the world's technical wonders, the Panama Canal, under 90 minutes.

Using the Limited Edition Lego Education Panama Canal sets, the teams will be judged on speed, accuracy and functionality of their canal's locks system.

Mr David Chin, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation, shares that the competition aims to engage youths and introduce them to the diverse aspects of the maritime industry.

"The Sea Asia Youth Lego Competition (Panama Canal Edition) is a great way for us to engage the younger generation and promote maritime through a fun and interactive activity.

"This year is also special as we will have over 220 participants from the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) who will be participating in the guided Sea Asia Youth Tour 2017. These participants will include, for the first time, not only youths from the IHLs, but the education and career guidance counsellors (ECG) working with students and jobseekers.

"SMF has been working to share more with youths about the maritime industry over the past decade, building up to the establishment of the Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) Office last year, with support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. This unit focuses efforts on establishing networks across various stakeholders, and thereby increasing accessibility, to connect both students and jobseekers to the multiple pathways to a rewarding and enriching maritime career," said Mr Chin.

Mr Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade, said: "The young generation are the future of the industry and we're pleased that Sea Asia 2017 can provide an opportunity for them to engage through activities such as the Sea Asia Youth Tour. The Youth Tour has always been a key part of the Sea Asia offering, and the competition will add a new dimension to it which will be both instructive and enjoyable."

Also taking place for the first time at this year's edition of Sea Asia is the Sea Asia Maritime Art Gallery. Exploring the works of maritime artist Mr Chung Chee Kit, the art gallery will showcase the transformation of the maritime and shipping landscape in Singapore through Mr Chung's paintings.

"The art gallery will bring a new dimension of vibrancy to Sea Asia. We're honoured to be working with Mr Chung on this inaugural Sea Asia Maritime Art Gallery and look forward to sharing with everyone the heritage and culture of Singapore's maritime industry through Mr Chung's works of art," said Mr Hayman.

About Sea Asia 2017Sea Asia, the premier maritime and offshore conference and exhibition in Asia is returning for the 6th edition on 25 - 27 April 2017 at the Marina Bay Sands®, Singapore. Co-organised by Seatrade and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia is well-attended by trade professionals and some of the most influential and respected leaders in the industry, delivering an unparalleled reach of key decision-makers.

Alongside an international exhibition, the highly acclaimed and interactive Sea Asia conference complements and puts Sea Asia at the forefront of regional maritime events. International thought-leaders will address the latest topics, debate on key trends, and discuss opportunities and challenges facing the maritime and offshore businesses from a commercial perspective.

For a full list of sponsors and exhibitors, and more information on the conference programme, please visit www.sea-asia.com.

About SeatradeFounded in 1970, Seatrade was acquired in 2014 by UBM, the world's second largest media and event organiser across a wide variety of industries. Seatrade's publications, events, management training, research and award schemes cover every aspect of the cruise and maritime industries. The company's principal strength is its ability to bring key people together, encouraging innovation and facilitating better communication within the industry. Seatrade is headquartered in Colchester, UK, with regional offices in Dubai, Singapore, as well as representatives in all major maritime centres and cruise destinations across the globe.

About the Singapore Maritime Foundation Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that seeks to develop and promote Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC). As the representative voice for the commercial players of the maritime industry, SMF seeks to forge strong partnerships with the public and private sectors of the maritime industry. SMF spearheads initiatives to promote the diverse clusters of the maritime industry in Singapore and at international frontiers, and to attract young talents to join the sector. SMF is directed by its Board of Directors which comprises prominent leaders in the Singapore maritime community.

About the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (22nd -- 28th April 2017) Sea Asia 2017 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2017 (SMW). SMW is the leading maritime event in Singapore driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. These events reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

]]>2017-03-23T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/173098-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, Mar. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The world's leading toymaker Mattel, Inc. made a symbolic activity for its house toy brand Barbie by lighting up Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower, the city's most iconic architecture, on the evening of 16 March. Thisactivity has sent a strong message that Barbie has formally carried out its "You Can Be Anything" (as "YCBA") branding campaign to China, which was firstly unveiled in 2016. Peter Broegger, Managing Director of Mattel Asia-Pacific, attended the event along with other top executives. Other VIP guests include a senior executive from Amazon China, a strategic partner for Mattel, as well as Ms. Guan Xiaotong, an uprising Chinese young actress with a popular public nickname called "National Daughter ". Joined by hundreds of kids and their parents on-site, Barbie "turned" the Tower into the iconic "Barbie Pink".

The event represents the Chinese version of Mattel's Global new brand campaign for Barbie, a classic brand under Mattel. Mr. Peter Broegger says that the YCBA campaign aims to encourage all girls in China to explore possibilities, pursue their dreams and ultimately cheer for their choices. "We want girls to know that by playing with Barbie, they can achieve any dream. This is the essence of YCBA."

As the world's largest toy company, Mattel Barbie has always been committed to innovation, helping children to enjoy play, dream their dreams and grow up healthily.

According to Mr. Peter Broegger, the Barbie YCBA career series has already been launched in the Chinese market.

]]>2017-03-15T11:36:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/172195-0.shtmlMUNICH, March 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Labbrand, the leading China-originated global brand consultancy, is awarded once again for its creative and strategic excellence. Both of its work with kidsland and Zhejiang Circuit were this time recognized by iF Design Award 2017, one of the world's most celebrated and valued design competitions, in the Corporate Visual Identity category.

On Friday, March 10, 2017, iF Design Award held the prestigious awards ceremony in the BMW Welt in Munich, Germany where more than 2,000 guests came together to celebrate outstanding designs and creativity around the world. Labbrand's Design Director Sam Yang, Corporate Branding Associate Director Jacquelien Brussee, and Labbrand France General Manager Nicolas Farman attended the ceremony.

"We are honored to have worked with kidsland and Zhejiang Circuit to help them build a strong brand. It has been inspiring to be part of the force of the growing Chinese brands who are at the center of global innovations. We congratulate our clients and every member of our design team for this great success. We hope to continue to assist Chinese brands in establishing distinctive identities to compete in a globalized market with unstoppable creativity and vitality!" says Sam Yang, Design Director of Labbrand.

Labbrand's award-winning projects are both in the Communication - Corporate Identity / Branding category. The two projects were previously rewarded with multiple Transform APAC awards at the end of last year.

Kidsland

Kidsland is a premium boutique retail chain for toys in China. After helping kidsland to establish a distinctive brand positioning, Labbrand developed a refined logo as well as a simple yet dynamic visual identity system to enhance the strategy, delivering an image of kidsland as an interesting and imaginative toy heaven.

Zhejiang Circuit

Labbrand helped Zhejiang Circuit to develop its brand identity with a strategically creative approach. Inspired by the diverse and dynamic sounds in a racing circuit and recreational hub, Labbrand created a comprehensive visual identity system and brand guide for Zhejiang Circuit.

Founded in 1953, iF Design Award is recognized as a symbol of design excellence around the world, welcoming over 5,000 submissions every year. This year, a 58-member jury comprised of international, independent experts convened to select the winners in Product, Communication, Packaging and Service Design, Architecture, Interior Architecture and Professional Concept disciplines. A total of 5,575 entries from 59 countries were judged.

About Labbrand

Labbrand is the leading China-originated global brand consultancy with a rapidly expanding global footprint that includes regional operations in APAC (Shanghai, Singapore), Europe (Paris), and North America (New York). Through brand innovations, we create, grow, and disrupt to be strong and resilient in dynamic markets. We are multi-cultural in approach and cross-disciplinary in research, strategy, naming, design, and digital. Together this gives us the foresight and ability to build brand equity.

]]>2017-03-08T22:27:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/171733-0.shtmlLeading STEM education and DIY robotics company releases electronic building blocks platform on Kickstarter SAN FRANCISCO, Mar. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Today, Makeblock (Makeblock Co., Ltd), a leading DIY and STEM education robotics construction platform, introduces its latest product -- Neuron, an electronic building blocks platform for STEM education. At launch, it contains more than 30 blocks, including input, output, communication, power, and control blocks, with more in production. Offering intuitive flow-based programming and a rich array of features and functionalities, Neuron is geared toward empowering users to turn their limitless ideas into reality.

The Neuron is available in four kits for pre-order via Kickstarter starting from $39 at the Early Bird level -- Explorer, Light Wizard, Science Lab, and All-in-One. Each kit contains a different set of themed blocks that can be used by educators, children, makers, and hobbyists.

Key Features of Neuron:

Plug & play: Play with the Neuron gadgets with or without software.

Unique blocks: Light sensor, knob and other standard blocks are accompanied by unique blocks, such as a cold cathode, MP3, 2.4G, and camera block to expand the opportunity for out-of-the-box creation.

Durable & simple: Children, makers of all skill levels and hobbyists can snap together blocks using Pogo Pin for durable and precise connection, which is made of durable materials.

Magnetic Design: The magnetic design of Neuron blocks allows educators to demonstrate hands-free when teaching in front of their students.

Consistently updated platform: Through continuous blocks, as well as frequent software and teaching material updates to the platform, a steady flow of new projects can be explored and created.

Expandable & easy to build: All Neuron blocks are compatible with the mechanical parts of Makeblock and LEGO ® bricks via connection boards.

Integrated with Microsoft Cognitive Services: Features like IoT, and voice and face recognition are easy to implement with just a few taps thanks to the integration with Microsoft.

Creative Cloud: Users can easily control their home Neuron gadgets with their mobile devices and/or tablets via WiFi by sharing on Makeblock Creative Cloud (e.g. use the pet feeder to tend to users' pet while they're on vacation).

Open SDK: The core Neuron protocol and library are open-source. Users can contribute custom creation as a developer.

Idea Cards: Each kit contains several Idea Cards, providing samples and instructions to make it easier for anyone to start building.

"Our vision is to build an entire suite of STEM education products that can power the imagination -- in-home or in the classroom," said Founder & CEO of Makeblock, Jasen Wang. "Neuron fits perfectly into this, allowing makers to break rules and create without boundaries using the different components of the kits. From virtual gardening via Microsoft Cognitive Services to an IoT cat feeder, we're excited for users to use Makeblock's Neuron kits to create gadgets that can play a fun and functional part in their daily life."

Makeblock's platform offers more than 500 mechanical parts and electronic modules, software and courses. Specific products include Airblock, a modular and programmable drone that turns into a hovercraft, mBot, Makeblock's DIY robot, and mBlock, a software based on Scratch 2.0 that is compatible with Arduino. Makeblock's STEM education products have been integrated into more than 20,000 schools worldwide.

About Makeblock

Founded in 2011, Makeblock is a leading DIY robotics construction and programming learning platform for makers, hobbyists, STEM learners and educators. Makeblock provides mechanical parts, easy-to-use electronic modules, graphical programming software, and courses, empowering people to turn their ideas into reality. Having delighted over 600,000 makers, students, educators in 140+ countries and still growing, Makeblock is one of the best robotics companies making a difference, with the aim to open the field to people of all skill levels.

HONG KONG, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a survey conducted by TUV Rheinland, the internationally renowned testing, inspection and certification organisation, at the Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, more than 75% of the brand representatives interviewed were optimistic about the future growth of the market for toys and other children's products. This finding tallied with market forecasts published by Euromonitor. The global toy market is expected to grow by 3% in 2017.

The recent Nuremberg Toy Fair (Spielwarenmesse) ranks alongside the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair in January and the American International Toy Fair in mid-February as one of the largest toy fairs in the world. TUV Rheinland interviewed brand-name exhibitors at Spielwarenmesse to gather their opinions on the toy market in 2017. The brand representatives interviewed focused on developing the market in Germany, Western Europe and America. They also planned to enter the UK, Canada, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and India.

Educational toys are becoming a new consumer favourite. Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) educational toys have proliferated in recent years, especially in developed countries. The award-winning products at this year's Nuremberg Toy Fair reflected this trend. The prize-winning product in the age 6 to 10 category was a set of smart building blocks that allows primary-school students to build various models and control their movements by writing programs on tablets. Sales of STEAM educational toys have increased rapidly over the last few years, and this trend is expected to continue.

Over half of the interviewed brand representatives named high purchasing costs as their primary concern. As the majority of the world's toys are purchased from China, rising production costs in China and variation in international exchange rates have substantially increased purchasing costs. Suppliers' poor-quality control capability has also caused problems.

To ensure that toy products meet quality standards, toy brands cooperate with reputable international product testing and inspection organisations to test and certify the toys they sell. When choosing testing and certification organisations with which to collaborate, 60% of the brands considered the cost of testing and certification to be their top priority, followed by the brand and credibility of the testing organisation, lead time, the presence of a buyer-approval program and the international network of the testing organisation. They ranked TUV Rheinland, which has nearly 150 years of experience, among their top three partners. The respondents also rated TUV Rheinland's brand value and professional service as the best in the industry.

A product-certification mark means that a product has passed type testing and factory production inspection to ensure that the product sold on the market is of the same quality as the samples submitted for testing. Nearly 40% of the survey respondents used product-certification marks to facilitate their entry into the international market by highlighting their brand advantage, increasing their sales and boosting their competitiveness. Another 30% indicated that they were assessing the benefits of product-certification marks at the time of the survey. The keywords featured in the TUV Rheinland product-certification mark can be designed in line with customers' product attributes and requirements to highlight their product strengths. The QR code in the mark links to TUV Rheinland's Certipedia certification database to provide a value-added traceability service for certified products. The use of TUV Rheinland's product-certification mark helps to ensure that a business's products stand out from those of competitors.

]]>2017-02-15T15:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/169899-0.shtmlTOKYO, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Good Smile Company, Inc., a premier Japanese collectible figure maker, announced on February 15 that it has acquired the license to produce Nendoroid collectible figures based on the heroes of Blizzard Entertainment's internationally acclaimed multiplayer team-based shooter "Overwatch" (R).

"We are very excited to be working closely with Blizzard Entertainment to create these collectible figures that both our fans and their players will enjoy!" said Good Smile Company President and CEO Takanori Aki.

Overwatch's Tracer will be the first character to join the Nendoroid lineup and is fully articulated, allowing her to be posed in many different ways. She comes complete with a variety of optional parts to add effects for her abilities, interchangeable bent legs, and hair options that can cover up her eyes to recreate her iconic poses from the game. Also included are her trademark Pulse Pistols and open-hand parts to pose her without her guns. Her Pulse Bomb is also included to pose her activating her ultimate ability.

Copyright: (C) 2017 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Overwatch, the Overwatch logo, and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the US and/or other countries. Visit us at gear.blizzard.com

Nendoroid Tracer is now available for preorder at the GOODSMILE ONLINE SHOP(http://goodsmileshop.com/en/) and at participating retailers worldwide. Information on other upcoming Nendoroid and figma Overwatch heroes will be made available soon.

About Good Smile Company, Inc.

Established in 2001, Good Smile Company is the worldwide leader in Japanese hobby products and services including the design, manufacturing and marketing of collectible figurines. Known for creating highly detailed collectibles, Good Smile Company's quality of production, sculpting, and manufacturing is known industry-wide as the new standard for Japanese anime/manga/video game characters. The company is actively involved in other new areas such as animation production/development and the motor sports business. More information about Good Smile Company can be found at http://www.goodsmile.info/en/.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft (R), Hearthstone (R), Overwatch (R), the Warcraft (R), StarCraft (R), and Diablo (R) franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm (R). Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes twenty-one #1 games (*) and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net (R), is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

(*) Based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

HONG KONG, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the heels of a groundbreaking partnership with toy giant Mattel in October, the chart-topping 3D animation brand "Bodhi and Friends" has announced another strategic partnership with "B.Duck" at the Hong Kong Licensing Show. The first Chinese IP to be licensed by Fisher Price in Mattel's 70 years of history, "Bodhi and Friends" is quick to bolster their market position with another significant collaboration with "B.Duck", one of the most popular brands among today's youth. "Bodhi and Friends" will partner up with "B.Duck" to launch a series of new products targeting fashionable young families. The products will range from mummy bags to kids schoolbags. Designed with adorable styling, premium materials and family practicality in mind, the fashion series is set to be a big hit. Prior to the official launch at the Hong Kong Licensing Show, the series was pre-sold on Taobao in December 2016 with very positive feedback from the market.

"Bodhi and Friends" and "B.Duck" launched a series of co-brand products including mummy bags and kids pack.

Through a unique portfolio of 3D animation, interactive games and edutainment products, "Bodhi and Friends" inspires innovation, multiple intelligence and positive values in children. The brand is loved by children, trusted by parents and recommended by experts. "B. Duck", with their "Be Playful" motto, has a large portfolio of market-proven consumer products with footprints all around the world. With the commencement of this strategic partnership, "Bodhi and Friends" and "B.Duck" believe they can spread more of the positive values of their brands to a growing audience around the world.

Ms. Poman Lo, CEO and Founder of Century Innovative Technology and Mr. Eddie Hui, Founder of B.Duck at the HK Licensing Show

Ms. Poman Lo, CEO and founder of Century Innovative Technology, owner of "Bodhi and Friends", says, "Both born in Hong Kong with a shared vision to inspire positive energy through original IP content and designs, 'Bodhi and Friends' and 'B.Duck' are joining hands for the first time to bring innovative product designs to our fans. Following the chart-topping season 2 which was number one in viewership ratings on CCTV and Hunan TV, 'Bodhi and Friends' will have three full seasons airing in 2017 to further boost its brand awareness and support the launch of Mattel's toys, smart educational devices and other consumer products. 'B.Duck' has accumulated strong following on its social media and e-commerce platforms and build a strong reputation for high quality fashionable products. Through the win-win partnership, both brands are strategically set to benefit from a combined fans' base and achieve robust growth through synergistic marketing programs."

Though this is the first collaboration between "Bodhi and Friends" and "B.Duck", both brands share the belief to spread positive values to the audience. "Bodhi and Friends" has been very strong in TV animation with over a hundred million TV viewers, while "B.Duck" has been one of the nation's best in cultivating social media follow. With the combined fan bases, we are confident of very positive results to our partnership. In addition, "Bodhi and Friends" season 3, 4 and 5 animation will be aired on China Central Television (CCTV) and most of the satellite TV stations, further boosting sales."

Mr. Eddie Hui, Founder of "B.Duck" is also very excited about the first collaboration with Bodhi and Friends. "B.Duck's design concept is 'Be Playful' which signifies trendiness, fun and ever changing creativity. Our target customers have always been middle to high income consumers who are sophisticated. We are delighted and honoured to be in partnership with the global brand 'Bodhi and Friends'. With B.Duck's valuable experience and massive sales networks, we believe this collaboration will benefit both companies tremendously."

"B.Duck" and "Bodhi and Friends" are delighted to announce the partnership at the HK Licensing Show.

Apart from the product collaboration, "Bodhi and Friends" has authorized "B.Duck" to be the licensed agent for its brand and products. With the experience, resources and networks of B.Duck's licensing team, the partnership will be a momentous milestone for both brands.

About Century Innovative Technology Limited

Century Innovative Technology Limited was established in 2012 as a family edutainment company with a mission to inspire positive values through animation and innovation through interactive content. Developed by an international team of education, psychology, animation, gaming and education technology experts, CIT's suite of edutainment products is designed to make learning maximally fun and effective. As a household brand beloved by children and trusted by parents, Bodhi and Friends offers a unique ecosystem of interactive content and online-offline products to engage fans across multiple touchpoints. Under the motto of "Enlightening Minds", CIT encourages parents to take an active role in their child's learning and development and empowers children to pursue their dreams through courage, compassion, commitment, creativity and connectedness.

About Bodhi and Friends

Bodhi and Friends was created in 2006 as a charity project

Brand Motto : Empowering Creative Minds

In 2012, with the establishment of CIT, Bodhi and Friends was launched as a commercial brand

In 2014, the first season of Bodhi and Friends animation aired on CCTV Children Channel prime time, along with more than 100 regional channels, attracting over 226 million views

The first season of Bodhi and Friends accumulated more than 100 million views on online video platforms

State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People's Republic of China (SARPRFT) recommends Bodhi and Friends as one of top 10 local animation brands

In 2015, the second season of Bodhi and Friends gained #1 spot on both CCTV Children Channel and Hunan Television, the two most popular children TV channels in China

Licensed by the world's largest children publishing company Scholastic to develop books

Collaboration with education technology company Skoolbo to co-develop interactive literacy program

Bodhi and Friends Awards and Recognition

Sole animation brand appointed by China's Ministry of Education to promote moral code of conduct through an online-offline CareOK campaign attracting over 10 million views on Tencent

Bodhi and Friends children music ranked 1st on iTunes in Hong Kong and 2nd in North America

About B.Duck

"B.Duck" is designed by a renowned Hong Kong design company "SEMK Products Limited" in 2005. The first product of "B.Duck" is a waterproof bathroom radio which features with its unique design which gains wide attention in Japan and Europe. Later on "B.Duck" has launched numerous products range from home furniture, toilet amenities, cooking utensils, stationeries, electronic products and festive gifts etc which also gain popularity around the world. Recently, "B.Duck" has won the "Best Asia Property of the Year" award presented by the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association.

HONG KONG, Jan. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VTech Holdings Limited (HKSE: 303, VTech) welcomes the United Kingdom Competition & Markets Authority's (CMA) decision to give final and unconditional approval to its acquisition of LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (LeapFrog). The CMA has published its view on its website that the acquisition will not lead to competition concerns.

"I am pleased that the CMA has given final approval to our acquisition of LeapFrog," said Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited. "We have no doubt that consumers will benefit, as the acquisition will allow us to offer greater choice from our broadened portfolio of electronic learning toys."

Following the CMA's final approval, VTech will begin integrating its operations with those of LeapFrog in the United Kingdom.

About VTech

VTech is the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy to preschool and the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. Founded in 1976, VTech has been a pioneer in the electronic learning toy category with cutting-edge and innovative products that provide fun and learning to children across the world. By leveraging decades of success, VTech provides a diverse collection of telecommunication products that elevate the consumer experience with state-of-the-art technology and design. The Group is also one of the world's leading electronic manufacturing service providers, offering world-class, full turnkey services to customers in a number of product categories. The Group's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high quality products in a manner that minimises any impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community. For more information, please visit www.vtech.com.

The UL Toy Safety Enhanced Certification Mark is a revolutionary new offering provided by UL CRS. UL's Toy Safety Certification Mark brings heightened credibility to the product's safety and compliance, and can help manage supply chain risk through detailed factory quality systems audits, product inspections and testing at various points in the supply chain. This mark will allow retailers, suppliers, wholesalers, and manufacturers to differentiate their product and demonstrate to their client base that they make safety and quality a priority, and will empower the trust of a UL Mark to consumers. UL's toy safety certification program is based on conformity assessments to the US specification, ASTM F963-16 Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, and is expected to expand to cover other global toy safety regulations.

UL SmartInsights™ is a library of regulatory information, organized in a user-friendly interface to help achieve global compliance. The system helps users to keep track of constantly changing requirements, search for regulations using custom metadata fields, compare key compliance requirements across regulations, and more. UL SmartInsights™ will give consumer product manufacturers confidence in their compliance program and the information to easily expand to new regions.

Both offerings will be revealed at the following Toy Shows:

Hong Kong Toys and Game Fair (HKTDC) in Hong Kong on January 9-12, 2017

British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) Toy Fair in London on January 24-26, 2017

Spielwarenmesse Toy Fair in Nuremburg on February 1-6, 2017

Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) Toy Fair in New York City on February 18-21, 2017

These events will mark the first public appearance of these two new service offerings.

About ULUL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. We test, inspect, audit, certify, validate, verify, advise and train and we support these efforts with software solutions for safety and sustainability. To learn more about us, visit UL.com.

ALBANY and NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASTM F15.22 Toy Safety Committee has just published revisions to its U.S. Toy Safety Standard, F963-16, covering the safety of all toys sold in the United States. Integral among the new changes is a provision allowing for the use of High-Definition X-Ray Fluorescence, or HDXRF, to measure the presence of toxic heavy metals in toys. Compared to traditional wet chemistry testing, HDXRF is much faster, more cost-effective, more efficient, safer and as reliable – enabling toy manufacturers and importers to test more for less.

Jay Burdett, Vice President of Engineering for XOS, believes this will be a game-changer for toy compliance. "Traditional testing methods take hours to complete preparation and analysis. With HDXRF, testing only takes three to ten minutes depending on the substrate, enabling laboratories to significantly speed up their workflow." XOS has been manufacturing HDXRF instruments since 2008 and is thrilled with the opportunity to provide a rapid, cost-effective and fully reliable means of testing for heavy metals.

Understanding that HDXRF is reliably effective for measuring lead, beginning in 2014 the CPSC began evaluating it for the measurement of the other seven metals limited in U.S. toys (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Sb and Se), and found it to be equally as effective in plastics, the most common material found in toys. CPSC then advocated for adoption of HDXRF as an allowable, alternative means of testing for all eight heavy metals in plastics in toys. Today's action by the ASTM Toy Safety Committee endorses the CPSC's position and formally recognizes HDXRF as an alternative means for laboratories to test for heavy metals.

About XOS

XOS is a leading manufacturer of application-specific X-ray analyzers, offering elemental analysis solutions that improve public safety and efficiency in industries like petroleum, consumer products (e.g. toys), and environmental compliance. XOS offers analyzers for the detection of toxic elements in consumer products, as well as portable, lab, and process analyzers for petroleum applications and analyzers to detect toxic elements in consumer products and the environment. <www.xos.com>

SHANGHAI, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Bodhi and Friends, a chart-topping 3D animation brand, announced today at Shanghai International Exhibition Center the commencement of their collaboration with Mattel Inc ("Mattel"), the largest toy company in the world.

Ms. Poman Lo, CEO and Founder of Century Innovative Technology Limited announces Bodhi and Friends' first step towards going global by being the first Chinese IP to strategically partner with the world's largest toy company, Mattel.

In addition to the array of accolades, Bodhi and Friends the first Chinese IP to be partner with Mattel. Ms. Poman Lo is very excited for the brand's global expansion.

Century Innovative Technology ("CIT"), the company behind Bodhi and Friends, officially licenses the animation IP to Mattel for developing and distributing toys around the world, with the aim to become a flagship brand under Mattel's Fisher-Price banner.

This groundbreaking partnership signifies a momentous step forward for Bodhi and Friends as a China-born brand with global ambitions and a breakthrough in the Chinese animation industry in entering the global arena as a new creative cultural force. This is also the first time Mattel has licensed a Chinese animation IP in its 70 years of illustrious history.

The strategic win-win collaboration between the two strong players is expected to generate significant revenue in the next few years.

Ms. Poman Lo, CEO and founder of CIT, and Mr. Peter Broegger, Managing Director Asia Pacific of Mattel, both expressed excitement and confidence in the strategic partnership. Such a bold and revolutionary move not only marks Bodhi and Friends' first significant step in its global expansion but also reflects Mattel's determination to further enhance its leadership around the world and grow China into a second home market.

Bodhi and Friends was created 10 years ago as a charity project to foster moral development in children through inspirational comics. In 2012, CIT was established and Bodhi and Friends as an animation IP was born. Through a unique portfolio of 3D animation, interactive games and edutainment products, the brand inspires innovation, multiple intelligences and positive values in children.

Today, the brand stands out amidst China's highly prolific animation scene as a leading family edutainment brand that is beloved by children, trusted by parents and recommended by experts.

"Having Mattel as our global partner is a dream come true because they are not just a toy company," commented Poman Lo. "Everyone at Mattel truly cares about how each toy can foster learning and impact a child's development. We share a core vision to empower children to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential. I am deeply touched with their passion for innovation and quality as well as their genuine commitment to growing the Bodhi and Friends franchise together."

"I feel Bodhi and Friends is in the best possible hands ever as they care about the brand DNA, positioning and communication as much as I do as a founder. I believe this is just the beginning of our magical journey of collaboration together and have every confidence that our toys will be a smashing success creating positive impact around the world."

Ms. Lo also expressed a keen interest to bridge the East and the West through the animated series which features both traditional virtues through martial arts lessons as well as cutting-edge sci-fi innovations.

A main catalyst behind the partnership is the shared vision of fostering learning and development through creative play experiences. Mr. Peter Broegger of Mattel said, "This partnership represents a significant milestone for Mattel in China. While we have been in China since the 1980s, this marks the first time we will be launching a toy line based on a home-grown China-based pre-school intellectual property."

"Despite being founded decades apart, it is noteworthy to recognize that CIT and Fisher-Price are founded on the same common belief, mission and shared value, namely that childhood development is the foundation of future success. This is our collective strength and opportunity - the combination of innovative toys with great, educational and locally relevant content."

"Together we are helping provide children the best possible start in life, and helping shape the preschoolers of today into the new generation leaders of tomorrow. We are incredibly excited to partner with CIT to bring Bodhi and Friends to life, and to enrich the lives of Bodhi fans throughout China with the future vision to rollout a global toy line and franchise."

The collaboration between CIT and Mattel signifies a historic moment in the development of the Chinese animation industry which produces over 200,000 minutes of animated content per year. No longer just the world's factory, China aspires to become the next frontier of cultural innovation.

About Century Innovative Technology Limited

Century Innovative Technology Limited was established in 2012 as a family edutainment company with a mission to inspire positive values through animation and innovation through interactive content. Developed by an international team of education, psychology, animation, gaming and education techology experts, CIT's suite of edutainment products is designed to make learning maximally fun and effective. As a household brand beloved by children and trusted by parents, Bodhi and Friends offers a unique ecosystem of interactive content and online-offline products to engage fans across multiple touchpoints. Under the motto of "Enlightening Minds", CIT encourages parents to take an active role in their child's learning and development and empowers children to pursue their dreams through courage, compassion, commitment, creativity and connectedness.

About Bodhi and Friends

Bodhi and Friends was created in 2006 as a charity project

Brand Motto : Empowering Creative Minds

In 2012, with the establishment of CIT, Bodhi and Friends was launched as a commercial brand

In 2014, the first season of Bodhi and Friends animation aired on CCTV Children Channel prime time, along with more than 100 regional channels, attracting over 226 million views

The first season of Bodhi and Friends accumulated more than 100 million views on online video platforms

State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People's Republic of China (SARPRFT) recommends Bodhi and Friends as one of top 10 local animation brands

In 2015, the second season of Bodhi and Friends gained #1 spot on both CCTV Children Channel and Hunan Television, the two most popular children TV channels in China

Licensed by the world's largest children publishing company Scholastic to develop books

Collaboration with education technology company Skoolbo to co-develop interactive literacy program

Awards and Recognition

Sole animation brand appointed by China's Ministry of Education to promote moral code of conduct through an online-offline CareOK campaign attracting over 10 million views on Tencent

Bodhi and Friends children music ranked 1st on iTunes in Hong Kong and 2nd in North America

About Mattel

Mattel is a creations company that inspires the wonder of childhood. Our mission is to be the recognized leader in play, learning and development worldwide. Mattel's portfolio of global consumer brands includes American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Thomas & Friends®, among many others. Mattel also creates a wealth of lines and products made in collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies. With a global workforce of approximately 31,000 people, Mattel operates in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.

About Fisher-Price

In 1931, Herman Fisher and Irving Price embarked on a journey to change the toy industry. Their goal: creating playthings that inspire a child's development. More than 80 years later, Fisher-Price remains deeply rooted in the belief that play is the way children learn best. To this day, understanding the importance of play in building a child's skills is the fundamental principle, as the company strives to enrich the lives of families with young children around the globe. United by the passion for a child's safe care and development at each age and stage, the people of Fisher-Price work tirelessly to bring families the best toys and baby products in the world. Some of the company's best-known brands include Laugh & Learn®, Little People®, Power Wheels®, and Imaginext®. Fisher-Price is a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT). For more information, visit www.fisher-price.com (U.S.) and www.fisher-price.ca (Canada) or connect with Fisher-Price on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Mattel remains a top licensor of choice in China and Asia, with over 110 licensees and three years of double-digit growth, driven by its region-wide licensing network and innovative third-party licensing partnerships

Mattel today announced a new agreement with U.K.'s Silvergate Media for its popular animated series Octonauts. This first-ever deal entails Mattel managing the consumer products program with local licensees in China for a third-party. Mattel will showcase this Octonauts partnership alongside other exciting new collaborations as part of its exhibition at the China Licensing Expo in Shanghai, from October 19-21.

Peter Broegger, Managing Director, Mattel Asia Pacific said: "We are very excited about taking our partnership with Silvergate to the next level. By managing the Octonauts toy line and consumer products in China, Mattel is truly consumer first. This consumer focused lens helps us better deliver on this franchise's value proposition - teaching and inspiring deep sea adventures and inviting children to become underwater adventure heroes. Partnerships such as this one enable us to continuously inspire the wonder of childhood through innovative products and experiences for children in China."

Mattel today announced a new agreement with U.K.’s Silvergate Media for its popular animated series Octonauts

Ron Allen, SVP Commercial at Silvergate Media said: "Octonauts now has millions of fans in China, and we're delighted Mattel will be our partner in taking the property to the next level. The Octonauts toy range is already a success in China, and this partnership will deliver a compelling merchandising programme, superb in-store execution, and strong marketing campaigns in one of our most important markets."

New ways to delight our consumers with innovative brand campaigns

Mattel continues to activate its brands in innovative and engaging ways through surprising and delightful collaborations with a wide spectrum of partners.

Recently Barbie announced a partnership with Amazon, who helped launch the brand's new empowering message to all girls: 'You Can Be Anything.' A One of a Kind Barbie doll supported this partnership launch and Barbie became the first non-publishing brand to be featured on Amazon kindles in China. Additionally, during Mid-Autumn festival, Thomas & Friends introduced Yong Bao, its first friend and engine from China, on the Great Wall and Shanghai Bund. The brand is integrating a Chinese character and culture into its content, as part of its broader efforts to create engaging and relevant experiences for Chinese consumers. And with the aspirational brand message of "Best Possible Start," Fisher-Price aims to support early childhood development for all children. Fisher-Price collaborated with brand ambassador Kun Ling on the "Fisher-Price Gold Talent Competition" in Shanghai.

Thomas & Friends introduced its first friend - Yong Bao on the Great Wall

"Mattel remains committed to being one of the top licensors of choice in China and Asia Pacific by deepening consumer affinity for our existing brand portfolio and creating new experiences that meet evolving consumer needs. Our licensing business continues to contribute strongly to Mattel's overall growth, and with exciting new collaborations in the pipeline such as this new program with Octonauts, we are highly optimistic about our future growth potential. Our consumer products partnerships extend Mattel's market leadership position, strong brand portfolio, franchise network, and complete licensing expertise to our licensee partners." said Devin Lau, Senior Director, Consumer Products for Mattel APAC. Mattel will also be revealing other new collaborations at this year's China Licensing Expo, including a groundbreaking strategic partnership that represents a first for China's licensing industry.

About Mattel

Mattel is a creations company that inspires the wonder of childhood. Our mission is to be the recognized leader in play, learning and development worldwide. Mattel's portfolio of global consumer brands includes American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Thomas & Friends®, among many others. Mattel also creates a wealth of lines and products made in collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies. With a global workforce of approximately 31,000 people, Mattel operates in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.

]]>2016-10-10T15:12:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/160404-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) have announced that they will jointly launch the Korean pavilion at Brand Licensing Europe 2016, which will take place at Olympia London from October 11-13.

Brand Licensing Europe is the biggest licensing event in Europe and welcomes over 300 exhibitors from 63 countries in addition to major retailers, merchandisers and agencies. It is widely recognised as the European version of the Licensing Expo held in Las Vegas.

This year, the Korean pavilion will present a total of 13 leading animation and character production companies in Korea such as:

CJ E&M: produced animation 'Rainbow Ruby'

LINE FRIENDS: produced mobile messenger character 'LINE Friends'

Red Rover: produced 3D animation 'Bubble Bubble Marine'

Booze: produced 'Bbugga'

Youngsilup: produced 'Ddobot'

Aurora: produced 'Yoohoo with Friends'

They will perform various activities including buyer meetings to stimulate export business for Korean characters.

As the five leading Korean animation companies, KOCCA will work with Redrover, Roivisual, Booze, Aurora World and CJ E&M -- all of whom enjoyed notable success at Brand Licensing Europe in 2015 -- to offer commercial, media and licensing support to help promote the reputation of Korean content in the EU market.

KOCCA has also reinforced business activities in advance to support the setting up of customized marketing and business strategies for Korean companies who participate in the exhibition, by providing market data, a list of major buyers and character licensing industry trends of market leading countries in Europe.

South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA are also planning to assist exhibitors in promoting more efficient business modes by providing various materials such as meeting space and a publishing and distribution PR guidebook.

]]>2016-10-07T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/160313-0.shtmlTORONTO, Oct. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY), a leading children's entertainment company, reveals a world of wonder and discovery with Hatchimals. Since their initial unveiling at select Toy Fairs around the world earlier this year, Hatchimals have become the most highly-anticipated toy of 2016. The exciting new toy, which launches today, has already been named to multiple top toy lists, including Target, Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us and Kohl's.

In a global launch today, Spin Master revealed Hatchimals, one of the most eagerly anticipated and innovative toys of the season. The plush Hatchimals incorporate advanced robotic technology to magically hatch from their eggs with a child’s help and nurturing touch. Available now at retailers around the world. (MSRP $59.99 USD)

Nestled inside a brightly speckled egg, the Hatchimal relies on a child's curiosity, care and nurturing. The Hatchimal responds to the power of human touch and begins to hatch and communicate through taps, pecks, lights and sound; which Hatchimal is inside is only revealed when it hatches.

The hatch is a moment in time, never to be repeated, but this is just the beginning of the experience. The child is the key to releasing the magic of the toy, and with care, they can raise their Hatchimal through three phases, from baby to toddler to full-grown Hatchimal, teaching it to walk, talk, play games and more.

"We are always looking at how we can inspire and evolve new play patterns," said Ben Varadi, Chief Creative Officer, Spin Master Ltd. "Children have limitless imaginations and we think the same way when we develop new toys. As a result, Hatchimals incorporate the very best elements of nurturing play with the interactivity of robotics in a truly innovative and entertaining way. This is one of the most unique products Spin Master has ever launched and we're confident that the consumer response will be strong."

There are two Hatchimal species: Pengualas and Draggles. Children chose the color of the egg and the species, but the Hatchimal chooses them. Penguala eggs come in two colors, pink and teal or pink, while Draggle eggs are either purple or green and blue.

Hatchimals are now available at major retailers around the world and online at SpinMaster.com. MSRP: $59.99 USD. Ages 5+.

About Spin Master

Spin Master is a leading global children's entertainment company that creates, designs, manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of innovative toys, games, products and entertainment properties. Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands including Zoomer™ Dino, Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, Air Hogs®, and 2016 Toys of The Year, Bunchems and Meccanoid G15. Since 2005, Spin Master has received 64 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 18 wins across a variety of product categories. Spin Master has been recognized with 12 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any of its competitors. Spin Master is among a limited number of companies that not only develop and produce global entertainment properties, characters and content, but also monetize that content through the creation, sale and licensing of products. To date, Spin Master has produced six television series, including 2007 hit series Bakugan Battle Brawlers and its current hit PAW Patrol, which is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories globally. Spin Master employs over 1,000 people globally with offices in Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

]]>2016-09-26T22:33:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/159506-0.shtmlSHENZHEN, China, September 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- "Even a truck can run over it and it just remained the same shape as before. It can't be more amazing,"said the witness James Wilson from UK, who's an old customer invited to the Germany new product launch -- the surfing scooter of Fascol. On the same day, the surfing scooter was also released in Spain on 23th September. Fascol invited many people who were interested in their product. Some native toy shopkeepers came to the launch for business cooperation, meanwhile many large toy sellers in Europe like Lego, Tietoy and Razor, etc. also attended the product launch. According to the holder of the conference, over 300 famous toy industry personnel have attended the meeting.

The most shinning part to attract people's attention is its strong one piece frame. Unlike other folding scooters with many complicated pieces, this design made it strong enough to stand incredible load. Together with the power of super-strength polypropylene, the most durable plastic and strong aluminum alloy tube, the lightest and hard metable, Fascol scooter achieved its outstanding performance in the company with naughty and destructive children.

The unicycle gravity sensing veer system came from an inspiration when the engineer was riding a bike. His bike ran fast when veering at a sharp crooked corner. He fell down from the bike making a sharp turn with the handle bar and thought if the children scooter also have the same problem. After several days observing and research on children's riding behavior, the engineer finally came out with the idea to apply the gravity sensing veer system of the scooter. The system reduced 36.6% accident during the riding of the children and became popular in short time in Europe. "I bought this scooter for my kids because of its unique safety design in direction changing system," said Chris Jackson, a father of a 4-year-old boy in the conference. "I think safety is the first priority to consider before purchasing a scooter."

This design takes the use of kids' weight to make a turn. When children put their weight on one side, the scooter change its direction to the other side. Unlike traditional scooters in whichhandle bars can turn 360 degree to all directions. Children are not proficient in make a turn on the scooter, so over 90 degree will easily result in falling down to the ground even at low speed. This design makes the scooter turn at a maximum of 60 degree. With a smaller angle to the turn, childrenareless likely to fall down to the ground.

This product launch is successful, most attendees bought some samples from Fascol company.

About Fascol:Fascol is a leading company supplying best scooters for toddlers, preschooler and other young kids between 2 to 8 years old.

]]>2016-09-23T05:57:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/159252-0.shtmlChoirock Selects Mattel to Manufacture and Distribute Leading Toy Brand in Global Markets Outside of Korea SEOUL, South Korea, September 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mattel, Inc. and Choirock Contents Factory Co., Ltd. today announced a strategic agreement to introduce the hugely popular Turning Mecard franchise to markets throughout the world. Based on the hit Korean animated television series, Turning Mecard brings together three popular toy genres - cars, transforming robots and card play - to create a highly-engaging play and entertainment experience.

"We are honored to work with Choirock to bring this incredible franchise to children around the world," said Peter Broegger, Managing Director, Mattel Asia Pacific. "Turning Mecard is nothing short of a phenomenal success in Korea, and we see tremendous potential to drive similar consumer adoption in key international markets throughout Asia, and beyond."

Under the terms of the agreement, Mattel will serve as master toy licensee for Turning Mecard, with rights to manufacture, distribute and market a wide variety of toys and products inspired by the franchise, including vehicles, action figures, games and other items. Choirock will continue to distribute and manage the franchise in Korea.

"We look forward to working with Mattel to bring Turning Mecard to audiences around the world," said Choi Jong-ill, CEO of Choirock. "By coupling Turning Mecard's incredible popularity and appeal with Mattel's established global strengths in marketing, sales and distribution, we are confident that the franchise will see strong international growth and adoption."

About MattelMattel is a creations company that inspires the wonder of childhood. Our mission is to be the recognized leader in play, learning and development worldwide. Mattel's portfolio of global consumer brands includes American Girl®, Barbie®, Fisher-Price®, Hot Wheels®, Monster High® and Thomas & Friends®, among many others. Mattel also creates a wealth of lines and products made in collaboration with leading entertainment and technology companies. With a global workforce of approximately 31,000 people, Mattel operates in 40 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Visit us online at www.mattel.com.

About ChoirockChoirock Contents Factory Co., Ltd. is Korea's leading content creator and provider. Choirock is highly specialized in planning and development for toys, animations, mobile apps/platform, and licensing business and dedicated to the creation of unique and innovative contents such as Turning Mecard®, Hello Carbot®, Sofy Ruby®, among many others. Choirock is committed to provide 'Delight To Play' for children and families. Visit us online at www.choirockcf.com

]]>2016-09-18T10:04:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/158690-0.shtmlTORONTO, Sept. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spin Master Corp. (TSX:TOY), a leading children's entertainment company, will unveil Hatchimals – one of the most highly-anticipated toys of 2016 – on October 7, 2016.

Spin Master's Hatchimals will be revealed to the world on October 7th, 2016. Only the loving touch and care of a child can hatch the egg and reveal who is inside. (MSRP $59.99 USD)

Spin Master's ground-breaking Hatchimals integrates the company's advanced technology in new and unexpected ways to bridge multiple play patterns. Previewed exclusively to industry at select Toy Fairs around the world earlier this year, Hatchimals is already a contender for numerous toy awards globally and has landed on top toy lists from retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, Toys 'R' Us and Kohl's. For the first time, the public will be able to see and purchase Hatchimals at major retailers and on SpinMaster.com beginning on Hatch Day, October 7 (MSRP $59.99 USD).

To date, Spin Master has only revealed the toy's egg-shaped exterior publicly. Children, ages five and up, can select the color and species of their Hatchimal egg, but who is inside will only be revealed by holding and hatching the Hatchimal.

"Hatchimals 'come to life' from the connection with a child; the inherent nurturing play pattern initiates the experience," said James Martin, Head of Robotics Global Business Unit, Spin Master Ltd. "It is a wonderful bonding and magical experience that continues to evolve. Get ready to see who's inside on Hatch Day and get ready to be amazed."

About Spin MasterSpin Master is a leading global children's entertainment company that creates, designs, manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of innovative toys, games, products and entertainment properties. Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands including Zoomer™ Dino, Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, Air Hogs®, and 2016 Toys of The Year, Bunchems and Meccanoid G15. Since 2005, Spin Master has received 64 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 18 wins across a variety of product categories. Spin Master has been recognized with 12 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any of its competitors. Spin Master is among a limited number of companies that not only develop and produce global entertainment properties, characters and content, but also monetize that content through the creation, sale and licensing of products. To date, Spin Master has produced six television series, including 2007 hit series Bakugan Battle Brawlers and its current hit PAW Patrol, which is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories globally. Spin Master employs over 1,000 people globally with offices in Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

]]>2016-09-09T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/158282-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, Sept. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 8, 2016, a number of mysterious guests will land on earth and take everyone's attention to Shanghai, China. Some 800 distributors, 200 media as well as 500 Abilix fans from 23 countries will meet 9 little guests which are the educational robots travelling from 3016 to bring about an important revolution to education. They are Krypton series brick robot, developed by the South China Sea base; Oculus series mobile robot, developed by the Mars base; Sinus series flying robot, developed by the lunar base and Everest series humanoid robot, developed by the Mount Everest base.

Krypton series brick robot has a unique six-side attachable building mechanism which makes it world's first brick robot with the most mechanical possibilities. Preteens and teens can build Krypton series into different things, such as plane, motorcycle, the Eiffel Tower, etc. Oculus series mobile robot possesses the fanciest appearance, the most powerful brain and a unique vacuum cleaning system. It is the leading mobile educational robot in the world. Sinus series flying robot is the first flying robot exclusively made for preteens and teens. Not only does it have outstanding performance in safety and durability, but it also does well in taking photos and recording videos as well as a various robot APPs, such as air combat APP, air ballet APP etc. Everest series humanoid robot owns the first hip-joint with 2-DOF intelligent servo motors which make it more flexible than any other robot product in the market.

Learning by Playing, Cultivating Success Ability

Educational robots, with their significant mission of education, are the hi-tech products born to cultivate preteens and teens' success ability. It is ultimate duty of Abilix to make sure they help youngsters to gain success in their lives. The 4 series (9 new products) are the educational robots Abilix exclusively made for home education.

In 1996, Abilix was the first to invent educational robotics. So far, it has developed 120 kinds of educational robots, 50 sets of robotics curriculum, with which, more and more preteens and teens have the chance to improve their success ability with educational robots.

Success ability is the cornerstone for success. In the process of youngsters having a certain robotics project, students will gather together to brainstorm for solutions, weighing their pros and cons and then pick the best one, building its mechanical structure, calibrating, programming, enduring all kinds of hardship before make the project a success. During the process, educational robots play very important roles just like a soccer ball in physical education.

In the process of success ability training, youngsters get to know mechanics, electronics, software, artificial intelligence etc. in a light and natural mood which will enhance their science literacy and make them feel closer to technology. In the era of technology, youngsters' technology literacy is crucial to their success.

Cutting-edge Technology, Leader in Robotics

Abilix is the founder and leader of educational robotics in the world. It possesses major patents in educational robotics in the world, for example, there are 161 authorized and pending patents involved with the 9 new products, which build an indestructible protection system.

The family of Abilix educational robots shares one unified system. They all have the same brain (Abilix Brain v1.0), voice recognition, facial recognition and visual recognition engines. The computing capability of Abilix controller is 20 times greater than a well-known similar product. Meanwhile, the performance of the voice and visual recognition will be a killer to similar products in the market.

With 4 major programming APPs, as young as a 3-year-old up to a college student will easily learn how to use Abilix flow-chart programming APP, making the most educational value out of the educational robots and let preteens and teens improve their success ability with Abilix.

Abilix educational robots share the same APP store and skill store. With the strong product and technology system Abilix has built, Abilix has confirmed its dominating position.

Affordable Price Breaking New Ground

With the technological breakthrough, price of Abilix educational robots is also revolutionary. Take Krypton series brick robot as an example, its computing capability is 20 times greater than a well-known product, the same advantage also applies to the intelligent motors and sensors. Its six-side attachable mechanism is unique in the market, but what's truly impressive is its price system. The retail price of Krypton series ranges from $179 - $599, whereas a similar product can cost from $615 - $1076. Since Abilix was founded, it has held on to a dream to let every preteen and teen have his educational robot. The ultimate goal of the 4 series, 9 will-be released home education products is to break the price barrier between youngsters and educational robots, which will truly make educational robots enter every household and realize Abilix's ultimate mission -- Improving success ability, taking youngsters further.

Educational robotics contains the most cutting-edge technology. Abilix 2016 New Product Release Conference is a signal for education robots to expand youngsters' access to their daily lives besides school, a mark to the coming of a time that every youngster will have his robot.

]]>2016-08-30T20:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/157267-0.shtmlKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, August 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The new school year is fast approaching, and for kids it is often a stressful period as they wind down from summer time fun to resume learning. But it is not all dull and grey especially since learning is now made so much more exciting with Zap Zap Math, a fun and engaging gamified math platform designed by Visual Math Interactive for students in grades K-6.

Zap Zap Math is the world's first critical thinking gamified math universe that was developed by Singapore and Malaysian teachers to help young learners master their math skills. The platform incorporates hundreds of exercises that are tied to Common Core or State standards.

"After long holiday breaks, it can be challenging for kids going back to school to get back on track, much less learn new topics, especially when it comes to difficult subjects like math. But it does not necessarily have to be that way. With Zap Zap Math, they can make the transition effortlessly as the platform comes with highly interactive and engaging space-themed math challenges. Students learn as they play," said Zap Zap Math CEO and Co-Founder John Ng.

"As a former math teacher in Singapore, I could see how students struggled with worksheets that were basically one dimensional. Irrespective of the difficulties they were facing, students were forced to complete them anyway. But with Zap Zap Math, they get to go on a space odyssey of math challenges comprising animated and colourful characters with different levels of difficulties. If they get stuck on one challenge, they can always go back and try again, and get rewarded with points! It's self paced to encourage independent, learning addiction -- no coercion involved," enthused Ng.

According to Ng, he was initially surprised to see the response and traction that Zap Zap platform has received to date with more than 1 million downloads (Zap Zap Math, Fraction Basics, Fraction Calculator, Zap Zap Fraction: Visual Fractions Tutor and Zap Zap Fraction Extended). It was also recently featured "Best New App" in the Apple App Store.

Since the launch of the Zap Zap Math platform almost a year ago, we have received numerous positive feedback from students, parents and teachers. Students are learning and having fun at the same time; while both parents and teachers are involved in the student's learning progress as they can monitor each activity in real-time and gauge real results via the Parent/Teacher Dashboard.

Just in time for the new school year, Zap Zap Math will be launching its latest update which includes more than 160 topics mapped to cover students' math curriculum for the entire school year.

"We are always looking for ways to improve Zap Zap Math and our latest update comprises several big changes: The platform now comes with a new and improved user interface for easier navigation with grade selector and slider, curriculum matching for all games, and simplified topic explanation for students' easy comprehension. It also includes clear mapping of topics to state standards.

"Beyond learning and memorizing topics, Zap Zap Math further develops higher-order thinking as it inculcates critical thinking and problem solving skills, which is often difficult to teach and learn in a usual classroom setting," he added.

"Schools are embracing technology wholeheartedly and we're definitely seeing a growing momentum in this space with more schools integrating Zap Zap Math in their math curriculum. It's an exciting time for us as eight schools in the US and Malaysia have worked with us to use our platform."

As for future plans, Ng was tight-lipped about further platform enhancements but hinted on the possibility of making Zap Zap Math a more immersive virtual learning experience for students far and wide.

Users can find and download Zap Zap Math through the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store for free. More information on Zap Zap Math can be found at www.zapzapmath.com.

Zap Zap Math, developed by Visual Math Interactive, is a math-based ecosystem which constantly innovates on the best education practices. The company's highly experienced team is made up of former math teachers, creative people, technologists and strategists, who work closely with a number of advisors including teachers, principals and education consultants across seven countries to ensure its games and content are both fun and effective. The app is currently available for play in three languages: English, Spanish and Bahasa Malaysia. More languages are in development, so watch for updates! Follow Zap Zap Math on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/zapzapmathapp), Twitter (@zapzapmath) and their website (www.zapzapmath.com).

]]>2016-08-04T21:40:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/155631-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, August 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NeoBear, a creative science and technology brand for children and pioneer in the Chinese AR industry, recently announced that its latest augmented reality (AR) educational toy for children, AR Globe, will be launched in mid-August this year.

Using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, children are able to see various aspects of the planet on the AR Globe, including territories, buildings, animals and natural disasters in all of the countries around the world, bridging the gap between reality and virtual reality.

Young minds are also able to experience what goes on in the broader solar system, such as the revolutions of the eight planets.Whereas traditional globes are defined as scientific and educational tools, AR Globe makes the way children perceive the world more interesting.

NeoBear's AR Globe adopts the world's leading spherical recognition and tracking technology together with 3D rendering, allowing children to learn about the entire world visually and three-dimensionally.

Such a high-tech multi-purpose globe subverts the cognitive pattern of traditional globes to help young learners easily master mass knowledge of astronomy and geography, and AR interaction, 3D animation, human voice narration and all-dimensional multi-sensory interactive learning facilitate mental development of children at a growth stage, assist cultivation and development of their key competences including creative powers, exploration abilities and attention span.

With the increase in average household income and the change of budget and financial priorities, the maternity, infant and children's products market in China has entered a phase of rapid growth. Now, thanks to the application of augmented reality (AR) in early educational toys,the market has become more diversifiedwhich is improving consumer interest.

Statistics show that there are over 100 million 0-6 year olds in China, and early market size has exceeded RMB200 billion(USD30 billion). However, most AR toys still remain at a simple and preliminary stage of card recognition and coloring at present.

Due to rapid development of market and upgrading of both consumer demands and philosophies, NeoBear, and its parent company YoungZone Culture (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. has identified that technical improvement in AR toys is urgently required so as to further promote upgrading of an industrial structure.

AR Globe fulfills the expansion of AR at the application level, breaking industry constraints and leading the growth of early education industry in China and beyond.

HONG KONG, July 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Captain Charlie and Charlene, the official penguin mascots of Star Cruises, are cute ambassadors with warm personalities that touch the hearts of parents and kids. Captain Charlie is honest, intelligent and brave, with a heartfelt mission to teach children about professional marine knowledge; Charlene is known for her approachable personality and passion for food, which are both in line with the warm Asian hospitality that is a proud signature of Star Cruises. As summer vacation begins, Captain Charlie and Charlene bring along their new collection of gifts and toys as they land at the NICI HK Store. From July 29 onwards, friends of all ages are welcomed to learn more about marine knowledge and the joy of cruising through this dynamic duo!

First Collaboration of Star Cruises and NICI on Gifts and Toys Collection

As official mascots of Star Cruises, Captain Charlie and Charlene had donned a new look in April this year, which has been well loved by cruisers of all ages. To further promote Captain Charlie and Charlene to friends onshore, Star Cruises and NICI engage in the first-ever collaboration that takes the duo from sea to land. The Star Cruises x NICI collection, including 7cm mini-plush toy key chains that offer great companionship with Captain Charlie and Charlene on the go, as well as 22cm plush toys featuring Captain Charlie in uniform and Charlene in her favorite polka-dot dress, will be available at the NICI Flagship store in Tsim Sha Tsui from July 29 onwards.

Limited-edition Premiums Exclusively Available Onboard

The Captain Charlie and Charlene collection has also been launched on SuperStar Virgo, the flagship of Star Cruises, including limited-edition items that are exclusively available onboard, such as the 22cm plush toy box set, the capsule toys collection with six different varieties stationary, key chain and badge; Captain Charlie handmade rock candies that come in glass jars, as well as part of the Captain Charlie Mini-Plush Capsule Set that consists of a mini plush key chain, handmade rock candies in passion fruit flavor and a mini-pack of Yukisio Salt, the local specialty of Miyakojima, Okinawa in Japan. Have a tasting of rock candies with Yukisio salt for an unforgettable blast of flavors!

"Captain Charlie and Charlene" are our adorable penguin mascots aboard Star Cruises. Captain Charlie is honest, intelligent and brave. His mission is to teach children about our professional marine knowledge. Charlene is friendly and lively. Her approachable personality and passion for food symbolise the warm Asian hospitality that is a proud signature of Star Cruises. Captain Charlie partners with Charlene to delight and impress children and adults alike onboard through our variety of parties, onboard activities and junior cruiser events, etc.

Our "Captain Charlie and Charlene" are cute buddies for your children adding fun to their cruise. The collection combines fun and variety. Produced by renowned German toy manufacturer NICI, our signature plush toys are all in high quality assured with European Standard on Safety.

About NICI

NICI is the German renowned plush toy brand established in 1986. As a gift & premium expert, NICI retail network covers all over the world across more than 50 countries and regions including Germany, Italy, UK, United States, Japan, MainlandChina, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, etc.

ABOUT STAR CRUISES

Star Cruises is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong, a leading global leisure, entertainment and hospitality corporation. A pioneer in the Asia Pacific cruise industry, Star Cruises has been operating its fleet since 1993, taking on the bold initiative to grow the region as an international cruise destination with a fleet of six vessels including SuperStar Virgo, SuperStar Libra, SuperStar Gemini, SuperStar Aquarius, Star Pisces and The Taipan.

Star Cruises' commitment in offering best-in-class services and facilities is reflected in a host of recognitions and accolades received over the years. These include being inducted into the prestigious Travel Trade Gazette's "Travel Hall of Fame" for an eighth year in 2015 in recognition of winning "Best Cruise Operator in the Asia-Pacific" for 10 consecutive years. Star Cruises was also recently voted "Asia's Leading Cruise Line" at the World Travel Awards for a fourth year in a row in 2015.

HONG KONG, July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For many children, summer means no school and no homework, with more time to play with their beloved toys and with friends and parents. Robotics, drones, creative playthings, and family-inclusive toys and games will be among the top toy trends of 2016, according to experts at the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA).

Infographic on TUV Rheinland Toy Market Insight

Macroeconomic-level uncertainty about EU and US recovery from the global crisis and implications for toy demand conditions in emerging economies imply that growth forecasts are highly uncertain. Neverthless, the global toy market performed very well in 2015, and steady growth is expected over the next few years.

Income growth will continue to be a major factor in household toy-purchase decisions. Emerging countries predicted to have the fastest-growing annual gross incomes are unsurprisingly expected to spend much more on toys. They will not only be able to afford more toys for their children, but will also likely be willing to spend more on higher-quality educational products or licensed toys. To protect children, toy-safety requirements in emerging countries are also becoming more stringent, and becoming comparable to those in developed countries.

The EU has the largest single market for goods and services worldwide. The Rapid Exchange of Information System (RAPEX) is the EU rapid-alert system for unsafe consumer products and consumer protection. According to RAPEX statistics, there were a total of 470 notifications on toys from different EU countries in 2015. Among all the notifications on toys, chemicals and choking were the top risks, with 192 notifications reported concerning chemical risks and 184 for choking hazards. The two hazards accounted for 80% of total notifications.

TUV Rheinland reminds consumers to be alert when choosing toys for children. Check the safety certification on each toy, and read the warning label and instructions, before giving toys to kids. Choose only branded products. Based on tests carried out by TUV Rheinland, samples from large brand-name companies rarely have excessively high levels of hazardous substances. A final note of advice for consumers and manufacturers: "Don't cut costs when it comes to toy safety."

]]>2016-07-16T01:31:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/154271-0.shtmlSHANGHAI, July 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The 16th Shanghai International Children Baby and Maternity Products Industry Expo (CBME China 2016) will welcome 2,366 local and international suppliers representing 3,673 brands to showcase their latest products on July 20-22, 2016 at the new venue - National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Hongqiao, Shanghai.

"Tens of thousands of buyers make CBME China a regular stop on their sourcing calendar as they recognize the purchase efficiency gained by meeting qualified suppliers with quality products that is available at CBME China. More and more suppliers also launch their latest products at CBME China. This is where they can find the latest trends affecting the industry," said Athena Gong, General Manager, CBME China.

"More and more international brands will debut at CBME China 2016. This year we have pavilions from Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States and more. They are using CBME China as the gateway to China's child, baby and maternity products market. This year, we see the debut of the France pavilion and the Taiwan Toy Pavilion at CBME China 2016. International pavilions have seen a 20% increase in brands and around 18% increase in exhibition space with 337 suppliers and 484 international brands," said Ms. Gong.

CBME China recognizes design excellence, product safety and creativity in the child, baby and maternity products industry with the following initiatives:

CBME China 2016 launches an expanded and enhanced Licensing Zone. CBME China 2016 Licensing Zone helps global leading licensors find licensees for merchandise covering 0-16 age group in China. The fair will be held independently in 2017.

CBME Product Design Contest: opens to all child, baby and maternity product designers who have original designs not yet in production.

Kids Design Contest Awards/Gallery: Launched in February 2016, the Cool Kids Fashion's Kids Fashion Design Contest received 1,035 entries from worldwide aspiring designers. 20 designers have been short-listed. Their collections are on display and are featured in the Kids Fashion Show. Final judging will happen on 21 July.

CBME China's Private Buyer Meetings aims to help buyers meet one-on-one with top suppliers to specify their sourcing requirements, product specification and close deals. Also, for the first time, CBME China 2016 will hold Private Buyer Meetings with Licensors and Private Buyer Meetings with Taiwan Toy Association and more.

China Charity Program 2016 supports the underprivileged children in China. Forty-five companies have donated products in order to be sold at CBME China Charity Program Sales Counters. Visitors can purchase baby products at a discount and help support the charity at the same time.

Theme with "Focus on the Present; Lead the Future," CBME China 2016 will be held at NECC, Shanghai fromJuly 20 to 22. CBME China is a professional industry exhibition that upholds the highest quality standards. It only features certified products and also adheres to intellectual property guidelines and laws. For more information on the event, highlights and exhibitor profiles, visit www.cbmexpo.com/en.

Held annually in Shanghai, CBME China is the world's largest sourcing event for baby, child and maternity products. This is the perfect venue for you to meet buyers, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers in the industry.

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company decreased by 8.4% to US$181.4 million

Gross margin declined from 32.5% to 31.4%

Final dividend of US25.0 cents per ordinary share, resulting in a full-year dividend of US42.0 cents per ordinary share

Acquisition of LeapFrog paves the way for future growth

VTech Holdings Limited (HKSE: 303) today announced its results for the financial year ended 31 March 2016, reporting lower revenue and profit.

Group revenue for the year ended 31 March 2016 decreased by 1.2% to US$1,856.5 million. The decrease was due to lower revenue in North America and Europe, which offset higher revenue in Asia Pacific and Other Regions.

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company decreased by 8.4% to US$181.4 million. This fall in profit was partly attributable to the decline in gross profit margin, which resulted from unfavourable currency movements and a change in product mix. Profitability was also impacted by higher administrative and other operating expenses, which included a provision and expenses related to the cyber-attack on the Learning Lodge® app store.

Basic earnings per share fell by 8.5% to US72.2 cents, compared to US78.9 cents in the previous financial year. The Board of Directors has proposed a final dividend of US25.0 cents per ordinary share, providing a full-year dividend of US42.0 cents per ordinary share, a 46.2% decrease from the US78.0 cents per ordinary share declared in the previous financial year. This represents a reduction of the dividend payout ratio to 58.2%, from 98.9% in the financial year 2015, in order to fund the acquisition of LeapFrog. It also reflects the year-on-year decline of basic earnings per share.

"VTech experienced a challenging environment in the financial year 2016, resulting in a decrease in revenue and profitability. The strong US dollar depressed the Group's reported revenue, while the weak economy in Europe affected sales in that region. In addition, the data breach due to the cyber-attack on VTech's Learning Lodge in November 2015 added to the decline in sales and profitability. Looking at the Group's product lines, strength in standalone electronic learning products, commercial phones, other telecommunication products and contract manufacturing services was offset by weakness in platform products and residential phones. In April 2016 the Group completed the acquisition of LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., a leading developer of educational entertainment for children, paving the way for future growth in electronic learning products," said Mr. Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited.

Costs

Costs presented a mixed picture in the financial year 2016 and the gross profit margin declined year-on-year, largely because of strong headwinds from foreign exchange movements and a change in product mix. Because of these factors, cost of material as a percentage of Group revenue was higher, even though material costs decreased slightly from the previous financial year. Direct labour costs declined as VTech improved productivity further, reducing the number of workers by 9.9% year-on-year. This was achieved through automation, process improvement and product optimisation. Manufacturing overhead increased, however, owing to wage inflation in mainland China and the opening of additional CMS manufacturing facilities in July 2015.

Data Breach due to Cyber-Attack

The financial year 2016 results were affected by the data breach which occurred as a result of a cyber-attack on VTech's databases in November 2015. During the cyber-attack, an unauthorised party accessed databases containing personal information from users of the Learning Lodge, the PlanetVTech website and Kid Connect service. In total over five million parent accounts and related child profiles were affected, though no credit card or other financial information was involved. VTech immediately took steps to suspend all affected websites and services, inform customers and report the incident to the authorities. As a result, Learning Lodge was offline for several weeks during the key holiday period.

VTech is strongly committed to protecting customers' data. With the assistance of one of the world's leading cyber security teams, the Group has taken steps to strengthen data protection on Learning Lodge and its connected services. The Group has also worked with law enforcement to recover the stolen customer data and to ensure that copies of the information that were disseminated to two other parties (a journalist and a cyber-security consultant) have been destroyed or taken off-line, held securely and not disseminated further.

Segment Results

North America

Group revenue in North America declined by 2.4% to US$878.3 million in the financial year 2016 as lower telecommunication (TEL) products revenue offset higher sales of electronic learning products (ELPs) and contract manufacturing services (CMS). North America remained VTech's largest market, accounting for 47.3% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in North America increased by 4.8% to US$314.4 million, led by higher sales of standalone products. In the calendar year 2015, VTech maintained its position as the number one manufacturer of electronic learning toys from infancy through toddler and preschool in the US[1].

In standalone products, growth was seen in the infant, toddler and pre-school categories, with higher sales of the core infant, toddler and preschool learning products, as well as the Go! Go! Smart family of products. Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Ultimate RC Speedway™, the latest playset in the family, hit retailer shelves in August 2015. It was included in all the major retailers' hot toy lists for the season. More recently introduced items, such as Kidizoom® Action Cam, Baby Amaze™ and Flipsies™, added incremental growth. Switch & Go Dinos®, being at the end of the current generation's product cycle and with only minimal retailer shelf space support, recorded a sales decline.

Sales of platform products decreased. Although there was good growth in the Kidizoom Smartwatch range, this could not offset declining sales of InnoTab® educational tablets and related software, as this market has continued to contract and competition remains keen. The cyber-attack on Learning Lodge and other VTech websites in November 2015 also impacted sales. The second generation smartwatch, Kidizoom Smartwatch DX, hit the shelves in the US in August 2015 and performed strongly. The Group also rolled out InnoTV™, an educational TV gaming system designed for preschoolers, in the US in October 2015.

TEL products revenue in North America decreased by 10.7% to US$371.4 million. Whilst growth in commercial phones and other telecommunication products continued, it was not sufficient to offset declining sales of residential phones.

Residential phones declined due to the continued contraction of the fixed-line telephone market. Nonetheless, VTech maintained its leading position in the US residential phones market[2] and increased its product placements among retailers.

Within commercial phones and other telecommunication products, baby monitors posted the strongest growth, driven by good sell-through of video models and additional product placements. Sales of commercial phones also rose, supported by demand for VTech's new range of four-line small business phone systems, which has been well-received by the market. The VTech branded ErisStation®, a conference phone with wireless microphones, and ErisTerminal®, the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) based business phone system, enjoyed steady sales growth as distribution channels were expanded and the products gained solid traction in the market.

The revenue from CMS in North America increased by 4.9% to US$192.5 million, as higher sales of professional audio equipment, industrial products and home appliances offset lower sales of solid-state lighting, communication and medical and health products.

Sales of professional audio equipment achieved good growth owing to a number of positive factors. A major customer increased orders after resolving excess inventory issues. Several other customers saw higher demand for their products. VTech's strong reputation also attracted new professional audio equipment customers during the financial year 2016. Industrial products benefited from supplier consolidation by a customer, while home appliances received more orders from existing clients. Solid state lighting, however, was affected by a fall in demand for the customer's products. Lower sales of communication products were recorded from a few existing customers, the reasons being overstocking, poor market response or the end of a product life cycle. The reduction in revenue from medical and health products was due to the change in outsourcing policy of one customer.

Europe

Group revenue in Europe decreased by 2.0% to US$795.9 million in the financial year 2016, as lower sales of both TEL products and ELPs offset an increase in CMS revenue. Europe was VTech's second largest market, accounting for 42.9% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Europe fell by 10.2% to US$325.5 million. This decline in US dollar terms was driven by the depreciation of the European currencies. Among the Group's key Western European markets, sales in France, the UK, Germany and Spain grew slightly in local currency terms. Despite the tough foreign exchange environment, VTech gained further market share in the calendar year 2015, strengthening its position as the number one infant and toddler toy manufacturer in France, the UK and Germany[3]. The Group also maintained its number one position in preschool electronic learning in France, Germany and Spain[4].

Standalone products saw a decrease in sales. Core infant, toddler and preschool learning products, as well as Switch & Go Dinos, recorded sales declines. However, there was growth in the Toot-Toot family of products and Little Love®, while Kidizoom Action Cam and Flipsies brought additional revenue. In the financial year 2016, VTech won four "2015 Grand Prix du Jouet" awards, presented by La Revue du Jouet magazine in France. This was the highest number of awards granted to any manufacturer, with Toot-Toot Drivers Super RC Raceway gaining the top "Toy of the Year 2015" award.

In platform products, sales of InnoTab/Storio® children's educational tablets and software contracted further. The market has continued to decline and competition remained keen, while the cyber-attack had a negative impact on sales. Although sales of Kidizoom Smartwatch also experienced a slight decrease, the range continues to win industry awards. In November 2015, Kidizoom Smart Watch Plus was named one of the "Dream Toys 2015 - Toys for Christmas 2015 (Category of Tots Get Busy)" by the UK Toy Retailers Association. In late September 2015, VTech's new multi-function handheld device DigiGo® hit the shelves in the Group's key European markets, giving children a handy gadget for text messaging, pictures, videos and music. It has been well-received. The 5" Storio MAX tablets, which were launched in France and Germany, also enjoyed success.

Revenue from TEL products in Europe decreased by 13.3% to US$136.4 million. The sales growth in commercial phones and other telecommunication products was unable to offset fully the decline in sales of residential phones.

Sales of residential phones decreased as the fixed-line telephone market contracted. This was compounded by a weak Euro, which reduced the purchasing power of the Group's customers, leading to a further decline in sales.

In contrast, commercial phones and other telecommunication products posted good growth. Baby monitors was the best performing sector, driven by higher sales of video models. CAT-iq handsets registered a sales increase, benefiting from their first full-year sales contribution. Sales of integrated access devices (IADs) also grew as customers began shipments of a new generation of products. In addition to the well-established ODM (original design manufacturing) business in Europe, during the financial year 2016 VTech started selling ErisTerminal and ErisStation under the VTech brand in selected European markets, achieving steady growth in both product lines.

CMS revenue in Europe increased by 14.3% to US$334.0 million, with sales rising in all product categories.

Professional audio equipment benefited from being given more projects by existing customers, while new customers also made a sales contribution. Sales of hearables trended higher, as VTech grew its revenue share with a major existing customer, while a new customer offering the world's first wireless smart earphones ramped up orders. Despite the change in ownership of a customer, switching mode power supplies experienced a temporary boost in sales. Sales of home appliances rose owing to more orders from an existing customer.

Asia Pacific

Group revenue in Asia Pacific increased by 9.7% to US$129.0 million in the financial year 2016, as higher sales of ELPs and CMS offset a decline in TEL products. Asia Pacific represented 6.9% of Group revenue.

Revenue from ELPs in Asia Pacific was up 57.9% to US$40.9 million, mainly driven by growth in mainland China, Australia and Japan. In mainland China, there was strong demand for core infant and toddler products, Switch & Go Dinos and Go! Go! Smart Wheels. Growth was further supported by the expansion of distribution channels and higher online sales. Sales in Australia increased significantly as VTech completed the first full fiscal year of conducting sales and marketing through its own local office. The revenue growth in Japan was mainly attributable to the launch of Kidizoom Smartwatch in that market.

TEL products revenue in Asia Pacific declined by 16.3% to US$36.0 million. Sales growth in India, Taiwan and Hong Kong only partially compensated for lower sales in Australia, Japan and mainland China. In Australia, the Group successfully replaced all Telstra branded phones with VTech branded phones across all channels during the financial year 2016, while gaining more placements for its range of baby monitors. In Japan, sales were lower due to delays of new product launches by customers, while in mainland China demand for residential phones was generally weak.

CMS revenue in Asia Pacific rose by 7.0% to US$52.1 million, primarily driven by higher sales of home appliances, hearables and professional audio equipment. In home appliances, a customer closed its own factory and moved all manufacturing to VTech, leading to a significant sales increase. Sales of hearables also rose due to a new product introduction from an existing customer. Professional audio equipment recorded growth as an existing customer launched new product. Solid-state lighting, however, registered lower sales as the customer faced keen competition from mainland Chinese brands.

Other Regions

Group revenue in Other Regions, namely Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, grew by 5.8% to US$53.3 million in the financial year 2016. Other Regions accounted for 2.9% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Other Regions decreased by 22.3% to US$11.5 million, as higher sales in the Middle East and Africa were offset by lower sales in Latin America.

TEL products revenue in Other Regions increased by 17.4% to US$41.2 million. Growth was mainly attributable to a sales increase in the Middle East as shipments of IADs rose, offsetting lower sales in Latin America.

CMS revenue in Other Regions was US$0.6 million in the financial year 2016, as compared to US$0.5 million in the previous financial year.

Acquisition of LeapFrog

On 4 April 2016 VTech completed the acquisition of LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (LeapFrog), with the result that it became an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of VTech. The acquisition was effected by way of a tender offer that had been announced in February 2016. The consideration was approximately US$72 million and the acquisition was financed through internal resources.

LeapFrog is a strong educational toy brand, and complements VTech in geographical strength, product mix, skill sets and operations. VTech is stronger in Europe, while LeapFrog is more US focused. VTech performs well in standalone products, while LeapFrog's platform products are stronger in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. VTech excels in technology and engineering, whereas LeapFrog has an edge in content development, backed by a strong education team. VTech's manufacturing is done predominantly in its own factories, while LeapFrog out-sourced its entire manufacturing. The Group will make it a priority to consolidate and streamline both companies' back-end operations, including logistics and manufacturing. This presents opportunities for improving the overall cost structure of the combined company. The acquisition will allow VTech to offer the broadest portfolio of products that enhance the education and development of children around the world.

Outlook

Despite a strong US dollar and slow economic growth in both the US and Europe, management expects the Group's revenue to be higher in the financial year 2017. Profitability, however, will be impacted by the integration of LeapFrog, which will make a negative contribution during the financial year 2017.

ELPs revenue is forecast to grow due to a number of positive factors. The acquisition of LeapFrog will result in an immediate sales contribution. Sales of VTech branded standalone products are expected to increase further. The successful baby line and Go! Go! Smart Wheels will be expanded, while the award-winning Go! Go! Smart Friends® will see the introduction of a princess-themed line that combines traditional role-play with cutting-edge technology, providing a multi-sensory learning experience. The Little Love/Baby Amaze ranges will see more products added to take advantage of good demand. New core infant, toddler and preschool products will also be launched. This will be augmented by the introduction of several new LeapFrog branded learning toys. Geographically, VTech's ELPs sales in China and Australia will grow further, supported by increased sales and marketing efforts, new product launches and the continued growth of online sales.

With the addition of LeapFrog branded products, the combined platform product business will see growth. In the VTech branded line, Touch & Learn Activity Desk™ Deluxe, a three-in-one learning desk designed for children aged between two and five, will be launched globally during the calendar year 2016. The handy communication device for children, DigiGo, which was well received following its launch in Europe in late September 2015, will be rolled out to the US market this year. Similarly, the Group's key European markets will start to launch Kidizoom Smartwatch DX later this year following the successful debut in the US. For the LeapFrog branded line, a new multi-activity learning platform will be launched and will contribute to the overall platform product business. The combined VTech and LeapFrog tablet offerings will give the Group a strong presence in the children's educational tablet category.

The TEL products business is expected to improve, buoyed by higher sales of commercial phones and other telecommunication products. Global product launches, new sales channels and geographic expansion will help to maintain the momentum in baby monitors. Sales of CAT-iq handsets will continue to increase, based on the shift from PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks) to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology. ErisTerminal is gaining customer acceptance and market attention. New models with enhanced features will be rolled out to the US market in the second half of this financial year, while VTech has recently secured a significant new project in Korea. ErisStation will benefit from wider distribution and new SIP-based models designed for large conference rooms that will be introduced in the US market. The Group's wireless monitoring system based on the ULE (Ultra Low Energy) standard will add incremental sales.

The decline in sales of residential phones is expected to moderate. In the US, the Group aims to capture more market share by growing online sales and introducing new products with enhanced Connect-to-Cell features. In Europe, the business is expected to stabilise, while higher sales in Australia and Japan will support growth in Asia Pacific.

Higher sales are forecast for CMS. Professional audio equipment will grow further as VTech's strong reputation attracts more customers and a new design support approach secures new projects. As category leaders, existing customers are expected to grow their businesses further, resulting in additional orders for the Group. Hearables will grow as existing customers expand their businesses. The successful production of the world's first wireless smart earphones shows VTech's manufacturing capability in the growing area of miniaturisation, enabling VTech CMS to target more business in miniaturised electronic devices. Industrial products will grow as the Group continues to benefit from the consolidation of suppliers by a customer. However, for switching mode power supplies, the change of ownership of a customer creates some uncertainty.

The Group has signed an agreement to acquire the assets from a third party which allows VTech CMS to extend its supply chain vertically and secure the supply of high precision metal tooling and parts. Contribution from this acquisition would start in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2017.

Costs remain a key area of focus for management. Material costs are expected to be largely stable, but labour costs and manufacturing overhead are expected to rise moderately. The Group will therefore continue to offset cost increases through more automation, process improvement and product optimisation.

VTech is the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy through toddler and preschool and the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. Since its establishment in 1976, VTech has been a pioneer in the electronic learning toy category. With state-of-the-art educational expertise and cutting-edge innovation, VTech products provide fun and learning to children around the world. Leveraging decades of success, VTech's diverse collection of telecommunication products elevates the consumer experience through state-of-the-art technology and design. As one of the world's leading electronic manufacturing service providers, VTech offers world-class, full turnkey services to customers in a number of product categories. The Group's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high quality products in a manner that minimises any impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community. For more information, please visit www.vtech.com.

]]>2016-05-04T23:15:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/148576-0.shtmlSHENZHEN, China, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AUVSI is hosting the 2016 edition of its annual XPONENTIAL from May 2 to May 5, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. As the world's largest professional UAV exhibition and a premier global event for the robot technology market, XPONENTIAL 2016 attracted over 600 leading exhibitors from all over the world.

As a pioneer and leader in the global intelligent sports drone industry, FLYPRO showcased its next-generation intelligent sports drone for hobbyists, the XEagle, and highlighted its innovative intelligent sports drone designs at the event.

The XEagle, an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle developed for the outdoor sports market, features a wide range of innovative functionalities, including speech control, automatic obstacle avoidance when flying at high speeds and one-button control on a smart watch. FLYPRO recently started a global crowdfunding campaign for the XEagle on the leading crowdfunding platform Kickstarter with a minimum contribution requirement of US$259.

]]>2016-05-02T10:32:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/148372-0.shtmlSHENZHEN, China, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hobby Expo China 2016, the largest and the most influential professional model exhibition across the Asia Pacific region, was recently held at the Beijing Exhibition Centre. Hobbyist drones took center stage at the event, with a wide variety of models on display in more than half of the exhibitor booths occupying the 20,000-square-meter exhibition area.

As a pioneer and leader in the intelligent sports drone industry, FLYPRO showcased its next-generation intelligent drone for hobbyists, the XEagle, at the event. The XEagle, an intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle developed for the outdoor sports and tourism markets, features a wide range of innovative functionalities, including voice control, one-button control on a smart watch, automatic obstacle avoidance when flying at high speeds, an intelligent moving camera with a cradle head and multiple security protections. In an exclusive interview with China's leading news website Xinhuanet, FLYPRO CEO Lin Hai put forward his vision for the anticipated growth path of FLYPRO.

The CEO said the company will continue to focus on developing innovative technologies that are in demand by hobbyists. The new FLYPRO drones, designed and developed to include AR, VR, glasses-free 3D and varifocal sports cameras as well as other innovations, put high-tech, conceptual designs into the hands of consumers and meet the demands of users. The next generation of products will continue to target the hobbyist market and be powered by newly released innovative technologies. Finally, more affordable pricing will not only benefit the hobbyists and consumers, but also accelerate the utilization of drones in the consumer market.

HONG KONG, April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 30th, TUV Rheinland Hong Kong experts brought toy safety knowledge to a group of over twenty kids at the YMCA Lam Tin Center. In 2015, EU issued over 460 notifications regarding toy safety in the RAPEX (Rapid Alert System for Dangerous non-food products). The common risks of toys are chemical substance release and choking. During the Easter holiday, our experts used humorous, interesting examples and interactive games to convey safety tips when playing with toys.

TUV Rheinland Safety Hero 2016

During the talk, our experts covered a wide range of products, from seasonal products such as swimming pools, sunglasses, face paint, etc. The kids were focused and involved in the presentation and actively participated in the discussion. At the same time, we told them of the dangerous outcomes of being careless when playing with toys and taught the kids how to choose safe and suitable toys.

The TUV Rheinland Safety Hero programme aims at prevent children from being injured while playing with toys. As a professional testing, inspection, and certification body, TUV Rheinland considers safety-related education to be particularly important and strives to leverage its own expertise to promote safety in the community and society.

]]>2016-04-05T15:25:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/146267-0.shtmlBANGKOK, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognised as the must-attend trade event for lifestyle products, inspiring ideas and impressive innovations, the twin fairs -- "Bangkok International Gift Fair 2016" and "Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2016" or BIG+BIH April 2016 --are ready to present more than 1,600 booths from 600 producers and traders of lifestyle products from Thailand and around the world.

BIG+BIH April 2016 is Ready to Showcase High-quality Lifestyle Products in ASEAN

The ensemble of two trade shows makes Thailand's premier sourcing event which has been celebrated for more than two decades by more than 50,000 global buyers and retailers of lifestyle products. BIG+BIH are not only exclusive sourcing platforms that offer trade buyers the opportunities to meet the familiar faces of well-trusted suppliers, but also the grand opportunities to establish connections with emerging designers from Thailand and ASEAN.

Occupying the vast area of 40,000 square metres of exhibition space at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), at Bangna, the 41st BIG+BIH April 2016boast the latest collections and the most comprehensive arrays of high-quality lifestyle products carefully selected by front-line suppliers and exporters. Presented in exciting displays are gift, decorative items and handicrafts; artificial flowers/plants and potpourri; home textile and fabric decorative items; stationery; products for the elderly; toys and games; household products; green and eco-friendly products; pet products and services; Christmas decorative items and candles, and many more.

BIG+BIH April 2016 are organised by Department of International Trade Promotion, Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with Thai Lifestyle Products Federation (TLPF) and the Design and Objects Association. The fairs will open for trade visitors from April 19-21, 2016from 10.00-18.00 hrs, while the general public are welcomed to browse and shop from the widest selection of lifestyle products fromApril 22-23, 2016 from 10.00-21.00 hrs. Admission is free.

Visit www.bigandbih.com for more information and pre-registration online. For inquiry, call DITP Call Centre at 1169, (+662) 507-8372 or 507-8309 or e-mail big@ditp.go.th

]]>2016-04-01T15:58:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/146141-0.shtmlLONDON, April 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Funtastic (ASX: FUN) is a global innovation house with offices in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and mainland China and the licensor of Messi FootBubbles™, a Messi branded toy launched in 2015 that is being enjoyed by children from around the world.

Meet Lionel Messi by juggling Messi FootBubbles

Funtastic will be running a competition giving three lucky winners the chance to meet their idol, Lionel Messi. Kicking off in April 2016 and running until December 2016, the competition will open to entrants from over 30 countries around the world.

The winners will receive a trip to Barcelona to watch a live football match, followed by a meet and greet with Lionel Messi. Messi FootBubbles™ is offering all entrants the chance to win this once in a lifetime experience.

Funtastic will also award a signed Lionel Messi shirt to the best entry during each month of the competition.

Entry to the competition is easy. Simply show off your Messi FootBubbles™ skills by uploading a photo or a video to www.footbubbles.com or Facebook; or hashtagging on Instagram #messifootbubbles #meetmessicomp to be in the running. Lionel Messi will decide the winning entries.

Lionel Messi, the five time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner and undisputed champion of football, has been recognised by his peers as the greatest footballer in history. Messi said "We are doing an excellent job with Funtastic in creating toys that bring fun to children while helping them in their educational development. I hope they enjoy juggling FootBubbles as much I do and I look forward to meeting the winners."

Nir Pizmony, CEO of Funtastic, said "Funtastic is proud to be partnered with such an exceptional role model for children around the world. We can't wait to see the exciting photos and videos that will be uploaded and I'm sure that choosing only 3 lucky winners for the major prize will be a difficult job!"

Messi FootBubbles™ has been a global sensation with worldwide sales surpassing all expectations and both children and parents loving the product.

For more details on Messi FootBubbles™ and the global competition, visit www.footbubbles.com or connect via social media:

]]>2016-03-25T15:32:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/145616-0.shtmlLONDON, March 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Westfield has got your half term covered this Easter, from Easter egg hunting with Peter Rabbit to Dim Sum and egg painting; you're guaranteed to have an eggtastic day.

Westfield Stratford City

Nestle Pop-Up

Over Easter at Westfield Stratford City, 25th March – 7th April, Nestle will be hosting a cereal pop-up. Shoppers will have the chance to eat a cereal of their choice with toppings and milk or take away a dry cereal blended to your preference from a choice of 12 different cereals.

Foyles

Ever wanted hang out with Peter Rabbit and his bunny hopping friends? If so, jump into spring and join the Easter fun!

Foyles Easter fun

On Monday the 28th March, kids are invited to explore the world of Peter Rabbit and help him on his quest to find ten eggs hidden in Foyles, Westfield Stratford City. Colouring-in activities and stickers are up for grabs once the little ones find all of the missing eggs.

The renowned bookstore invites children to hop along at either 11am or 3pm to join in with our furry friends this Easter and if you can't make it there's still more fun to be had throughout the day with an egg decorating workshop set up in the children's section.

To register, simply email events@foyles.co.uk detailing which session you would like to attend.

Nibbles the Book Monster's Book Hunt

Calling all mini investigators! We need your help! Nibbles, a very naughty book monster has escaped his book and been nibbling his way through tales that don't belong to him!

Nibbles the Book Monster’s Book Hunt

From the 4th April right up until 10th April you can come and help the team at Foyles Westfield find the naughty Nibbler and put him back in his book.

Follow the clues that will be displayed in-store to find where that mischievous monster has been nibbling, and see if you can find Nibbles' calling card. If you do you'll receive a badge for taking part and automatically be entered in to the competition to WIN an adorable Nibbles Plush Toy.

You don't need to book just come along and get hunting any time between 11am and 3pm

Happy Hunting!

Ping Pong

From egg painting to a real life animal farm, let your kids go Easter crazy this half term at Ping Pong from the 25th -28th March at Westfield Stratford City. And to spoil you further Kids can enjoy the "Little Ping Pongers Dim Sum" set menu.

Kai The Red Ninja of Fire

Have you always wanted to be a Ninja? Well, get your cameras at the ready as Legos Kai the Red Ninja of fire will be taking over The Entertainer Westfield on the 16th April.

Between 10am and 3pm, let your dreams become reality as a real life Ninja Kai is ready to show you his moves.

Face Painting

Brighten up your Saturday and take your little kiddies down to The Entertainer to have the ultimate face painting experience. Make your little ones day and get painting!

Between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 26th March the Entertainer will be doing free children's face painting.

Lee Valley Farm

Lee Valley Farm is coming to Westfield!

On the 7th and 8th April between 11am and 6pm come and meet all of Lee Valleys cutest friends.

From Guinea pigs to Tortoises get up close and personal with all the farm animals, your kiddies can even stroke and touch all of the animals!

Westfield London

KidZania

From Thursday 24th March until Sunday 10th April KidZania will be adding an egg-citing Easter-twist to a number of their role-play adventures. Kids can enjoy a special Easter Egg Trail throughout the City, create Easter inspired paintings and greeting cards, become master chocolatiers at the chocolate factory and more. KidZania London is the ultimate family destination this Easter so be sure to hop on down and join in the fun!

Mamas & Papas

On Friday 25 March find the three bunnies which are "hidden" around the Mamas & Papas store, correctly mark them on the handout provided and receive a complimentary egg box with hollow chocolate eggs.

My London Girl

My London Girl

On Wednesday 30 March, from 12-5pm, My London Girl will host a Doll Spa Day. Treatments cost £5 for doll hairstyling and £4 for doll nail painting. Customers who buy a My London Girl doll on the day can receive one treatment free with a voucher.

Ping Pong

On the 25th-28th March come and join Ping Pong for an afternoon of dim sum, egg painting and fun activities! Little Ping Pongers activities will take place between 12 to 6pm. Egg painting is free for all kids under 12.

Kids Club Corner

This Easter holiday join us at the Kids Club Corner in the Kids' Mall near Debenhams from 31 March – 10 April. You can expect lots of fun activities like drawing and arts n' crafts and egg painting! There will be Circus performers on hand to teach you how to juggle, tightrope and globe walk…

About Westfield London

With over 750 fashion brands, more than 70 dining options and the home to over 40 luxury brands in The Village, Westfield London is the capital's pioneering shopping and leisure destination and a dynamic place for a new generation of consumer to shop, eat and meet. Ensuring the best shopping experience, Westfield London provides a trained concierge and valet team; CollectPlus, valet parking, hands-free shopping, UK and international home and hotel delivery and The Fashion Lounge- a luxurious personal styling suite. Westfield London offers an entertainment hub with the UK's biggest and most technologically advance cinema, Vue Westfield and for families, the award-winning interactive experience, KidZania; the world's fastest growing educational entertainment experience. Visit http://uk.westfield.com/london to explore more.

About Westfield Stratford City

With over 330 stores, more than 80 dining options, a 17 screen cinema, a luxury bowling venue and London's largest Casino, Westfield Stratford City is an innovative and dynamic place for a new generation of consumer to shop, eat, meet and be entertained. A unique mix of international fashion labels are available, including The Kooples, TK Maxx, Forever 21, Uniqlo, Stradivarius and Superdry. Many brands have made their UK debut, such as David's Bridal, Cadenzza and Lindex. Ensuring the best shopping experience for all visitors, Westfield Stratford City has trained concierge staff; stylists, gift cards, handsfree shopping, Doodle Click & Collect and Find My Car service offering an easy way for visitors to locate their cars. Visit http://uk.westfield.com/stratfordcity to explore more.

About Westfield Corporation

Westfield Corporation (ASX Code: WFD) is an internally managed, vertically integrated, shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities and employing approximately 2,000 staff worldwide. Westfield Corporation has interests in 34 shopping centres in the United States, and the United Kingdom, encompassing approximately 6,500 retail outlets and total assets under management of $29bn.

]]>2016-03-18T15:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/145030-0.shtmlJERUSALEM and TEL AVIV, Israel, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Turing Robot, one of China's leading AI robotics companies, is to install its AI-level Turing operating system (OS) into toy robots of Doraemon set to be commercialized in China.

As one of Japan's most famous cartoon characters, the toy Doraemons will be loaded with the Turing OS AI-driven robot operation system that can simulate human affection and thinking.

Turing OS is also capable of multimodal human-machine interaction, including multidimensional input methods such as text, voice, touch and environment, and multidimensional output methods such as text, voice, facial expressions and body language.

Turing Robot acquired venture capital investment of over RMB 1 million in 2015, in response to the growing popularity of the toy robotics industry in recent years.

VTech plans to acquire 100% of the outstanding common stock of LeapFrog through an all cash tender offer followed by a second-step merger. In the tender offer, VTech will offer LeapFrog investors US$1.00 per share for LeapFrog's Class A and Class B shares, which represents a 75.4% premium over the closing price of LeapFrog's Class A shares on 4 February 2016. The total purchase consideration amounts to approximately US$72 million. VTech will fund the tender offer through internal resources.

The tender offer is expected to commence on or about 3 March 2016, and will be open for a minimum of 20 business days. The closing of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the merger agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. LeapFrog's Board has agreed to unanimously recommend to its stockholders that they tender their shares of LeapFrog common stock pursuant to the tender offer.

"We are delighted to have the LeapFrog brand joining VTech, bringing together two of the great names in children's learning and entertainment," said Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited. "VTech has been a pioneer in the electronic learning toy category for 35 years. The acquisition will allow us to offer the broadest portfolio of products that enhance the education and development of children across the world, while bringing them fun and joy."

"We believe this is a terrific opportunity for our employees, customers, and shareholders," said Bill Chiasson, the Chairman of LeapFrog's Board of Directors. "The acquisition and future investment by VTech will be instrumental to helping the LeapFrog brand achieve the mission of helping each child achieve their potential. Importantly, too, this transaction also rewards our shareholders with a significant premium from recent trading levels."

About LeapFrog

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is the leader in innovative solutions that encourage a child's curiosity and love of learning throughout their early developmental journey. For 20 years, LeapFrog has helped children expand their knowledge and imagination through award-winning products that combine state-of-the-art educational expertise led by the LeapFrog Learning Team, innovative technology, and engaging play – turning playtime into quality time. LeapFrog's proprietary learning tablets and ground-breaking developmental games, learn to read and write systems, interactive learning toys and more are designed to create personalized experiences that encourage, excite and build confidence in children. LeapFrog is based in Emeryville, California, and was founded in 1995 by a father who revolutionized technology-based learning solutions to help his child learn how to read. Learn more at www.leapfrog.com.

About VTech

VTech is the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy to preschool and the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. Founded in 1976, VTech has been a pioneer in the electronic learning toy category with cutting-edge and innovative products that provide fun and learning to children across the world. By leveraging decades of success, VTech provides a diverse collection of telecommunication products that elevate the consumer experience with state-of-the-art technology and design. The Group is also one of the world's leading electronic manufacturing service providers, offering world-class, full turnkey services to customers in a number of product categories. The Group's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high quality products in a manner that minimizes any impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community. For more information, please visit www.vtech.com.

Statement on Cautionary Factors

Any statements made in this communication that are not statements of historical fact including, but not limited to, statements about VTech's and LeapFrog's beliefs and expectations and statements about VTech's proposed acquisition of LeapFrog, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that may relate to VTech's and LeapFrog's plans, objectives, strategies, goals, future events, the timing and success of the tender offer and other information that is not historical information. Factors that may materially affect such forward-looking statements include: VTech's ability to successfully complete the tender offer for LeapFrog's shares or realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction; and the failure of any of the conditions to VTech's tender offer to be satisfied.

VTech and LeapFrog do not undertake, and specifically disclaim, any obligation or responsibility to update or amend any of the information above except as otherwise required by law.

Important Additional Information

The tender offer for the outstanding shares of common stock of LeapFrog has not yet commenced. This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of LeapFrog common stock. The solicitation and the offer to purchase shares of LeapFrog common stock will be made pursuant to an offer to purchase and related materials that VTech and certain of its affiliates intend to file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

At the time the tender offer is commenced, VTech and certain of its affiliates will file a tender offer statement on Schedule TO with the SEC, and LeapFrog will file a solicitation/recommendation statement on Schedule 14D-9 with respect to the Offer. The tender offer statement (including an offer to purchase, a related letter of transmittal and other offer documents) and the solicitation/recommendation statement will contain important information that should be read carefully and considered before any decision is made with respect to the tender offer. Both the tender offer statement and the solicitation/recommendation statement will be mailed to LeapFrog stockholders free of charge. A free copy of the tender offer statement and the solicitation/recommendation statement will be available to all LeapFrog stockholders from a depository to be announced once the tender offer commences. The tender offer statement and solicitation/recommendation statement (including all documents filed with the SEC) are free by accessing the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER, LEAPFROG STOCKHOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ AND CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE SCHEDULE TO (INCLUDING THE OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER OFFER DOCUMENTS), THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT ON SCHEDULE 14D-9, EACH AS MAY BE AMENDED AND SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND ITS PARTIES.

]]>2016-02-02T22:10:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/142015-0.shtmlSHENZHEN, China, February 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hot on the heels of its much talked about debut at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January, FLYPRO's controlled by mouth (Voice control) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) the XEagle was once again displayed at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany, one of the three largest toy exhibitions in the world and one of the toy industry's leading trade shows.

As a global leader for smart sports drones and a pioneer of consumer drones, the FLYPRO XEagle attracted further significant media coverage, serving to reinforce both its growth in popularity and that of the drone and UAV industry as a whole.

The FLYPRO XEagle can recognize voice commands such as take off, land, circle, and follow in both English and Chinese. It is easy to operate, representing a development in consumer-level drone technology and a significant milestone for consumer drones.

The voice and smart watch control, automatic obstacle-avoidance, high speed 360-degree angle and gimbal smart tracking functions make the FLYPRO XEagle the perfect smart UAV for sports enthusiasts, as it allows them to keep their hands free so they can both focus on and record sporting action.

2015 was the first year for global UAVs, which was reflected by drones becoming one of the most attractive products at this year's Fair. Benefiting from the development of the global UAV industry in 2015, a record number of UAV manufacturers and products were present in Nuremberg in 2016.

FLYPRO XEagle will begin crowdfunding in early February on Kickstarter and JD.COM and will be available through global e-commerce channels and all major retailers in March.

]]>2016-01-20T00:24:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/141055-0.shtmlOYSTER BAY, N.Y., Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The consumer drone market continues to exhibit dramatic growth as users look to use them to enrich their pastimes and activities. ABI Research, the leader in technology market intelligence, predicts more than 90 million consumer UAVs will ship during 2025, up from 4.9 million in 2014 with a CAGR of 30.4% over the same period. Consumer drone revenues in 2025 are forecast to reach $4.6 billion.

According to research findings, toy/hobbyist drone shipments accounted for 30% of consumer UAV revenue in 2014, while the prosumer segment captured 69%. ABI Research anticipates that toy/hobbyist UAV revenue will surpass prosumer UAV revenue beginning in 2017, and will account for more than two-thirds of the $4.6 billion consumer drone market in 2025.

"For the study period, the overwhelming majority of consumer UAVs shipped will be toy/hobbyist UAVs, followed by prosumer UAVs, while kits and custom UAVs will remain a small market," says Phil Solis, Research Director at ABI Research. "Overall, growth in the consumer drone sector will remain strong, spurred by the creation of new use cases and the adoption of the technological advancements generated by well-funded market leaders such as DJI, 3DR, Parrot, and Yuneec, among others."

Additionally, the report finds that as the complexity of technology in the toy/hobbyist segment continues to increase, consumer UAVs with at least one camera can expect higher shipments than those without any cameras from 2019 onward. These cameras will not be limited to taking pictures and video, but will also be utilized for machine-vision applications, such as motion tracking, obstacle avoidance and other advanced functionalities.

"It will be interesting to watch what happens as consumer UAV technology continues to evolve," concludes Solis. "The future challenge will lie in finding ways to keep the products interesting. By transforming consumer UAVs into flying smartphone-like platforms, product vendors will be able to add innovative technological functionality into the devices with an eye on more open application development to enable innovative use cases. This will enable products to hold consumers' interest longer, increase product value, and expand product lifespan."

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Organised by UBM Asia and part of the successful CBME (Children, Baby and Maternity Expo) portfolio, the 2016 edition of CBME Southeast Asia -- the region's only business-to-business child, baby and maternity exhibition will take place from 13 - 15 April 2016 at Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre, Singapore. The annual gathering of distributors and manufacturers showcasing over 150 regional and international brands including maternity and baby care products, baby carriages, food and healthcare products, toys, clothing, accessories, and educational products. Well established international brands featured at the event include Simba, US Baby and Tung Ling. New and upcoming brand names such as Happyganics, Mr-McKenic and Sili, and brand names well established in their homeland and looking to expand their business within the region such as JWorld, Little Tree and Marc & Molly's will also be featured. The three-day event is free to attend for all trade visitors and registration can be made on the show website www.cbmesea.com.

The 2016 edition will also feature pavilions representing Korea, Spain, Taiwan, North America, China and Singapore amongst many others. Also included on the show floor activities will be knowledge driven seminars which will cover topics such as industry trends and consumer behavior.

Apart from meeting brand owners and manufacturers visitors can also look forward to a business matching programme to help buyers make the most out of their time at the event and meet the right manufacturers and distributors to meet their sourcing needs. The event will include a Hosted Delegation Programme which will include members of various retail associations and sourcing groups from across Southeast Asia.

"We look forward to welcoming all our local and international visitors in April, and we are confident that this year's edition of CBME Southeast Asia will be bigger and better providing you with an unrivalled opportunity to meet some of the region's top child, baby and maternity product manufacturers and suppliers. The focus this year is to feature new and products to meet the high market demand," said Athena Gong, General Manager, CBME.

About Children Baby Maternity Industry Expo (CBME South East Asia) (www.cbmesea.com)

Children Baby Maternity Industry Expo (CBME South East Asia) is the first trade exhibition catered exclusively to host professionals in baby, children and maternity products industry. This is the perfect venue for you to meet buyers, manufacturers, distributors and suppliers in the industry.

Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is Asia's leading exhibition organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in mainland China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global network of 30 offices and 1,300 staff in 24 major cities. We operate in 20 market sectors with 230 exhibitions and conferences, 23 trade publications, 20 online products for over 1,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world.

UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications company. We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and specialist content. Our 5,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

For more information, go to www.ubm.com; follow us on Twitter at @UBM_plc to get the latest UBM corporate news; follow @UBM for news and updates from across the businesses and selected members of UBM's Twitter.

]]>2015-11-24T11:43:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/137131-0.shtmlHONG KONG, Nov. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- This Christmas, Olympian City will be transformed into TOMICA Christmas wonderland, taking visitors onto the first TOMICA Christmas Journey full of thrilling games and fascinating activities. The wonderland stood the world's first 6-meter Christmas tree surrounded by huge TOMICA cars. Those who complete the TOMICA challenges can each win a limited edition gift! Moreover, the on-site TOMICA Tryout Centre will showcase more than 2,000 TOMICA die cast cars and PLARAIL railroad toys for children to play with. TOMICA fans can also indulge in dead-stock collectables and the latest TOMICA cars preview in the Christmas wonderland. Feel like owning a personalised TOMICA die cast car? Go to the TOMICA DIY Workshop to make your own four-wheel toy!

The Largest TOMICA Christmas Wonderland in HK Olympian City

Exploring at TOMICA Christmas Wonderland worksVarious TOMICA Toy Cars are at the Christmas Wonderland. Children can transform into racers to enjoy the merry Christmas with TOMICA! Little one's driving talent could be unleashed at TOMICA Challenge Corner, where a colourful collection of exciting games greet the successful littler drivers with limited edition gifts. Brilliant players who have completed all three games are entitled to try their luck on the claw crane for a limited version TOMICA die cast car.

TOMICA Creative StudioCompleted all challenges, customers could become a TOMICA designer! They can let their imagination run wild and use magic spray to paint their own distinctive TOMICA die cast car on the giant display screen. After that, they can send their works as Christmas cards to their loved ones.

HK First Ever TOMICA Experience ZoneTOMICA Experience Zone provides more than 2,000 TOMICA toy cars and PLARIAL railway toys for children to play with. Olympian Kids members would be able to have a trial before being the "car owner". Rare TOMICA die cast cars will be put on display alongside the preview pieces first-time on show in Hong Kong. Moreover, the curator of the Centre will present the precious collection of TOMICA on the spot on designated dates.

Exclusive offer at TOMICA Christmas Pop Up StoreWhen the Christmas Journey comes to an end, don't miss visiting the TOMICA Christmas Pop Up Store. The store offers the most comprehensive range of the latest TOMICA products. Customers with a spending totalling the designated amount can each receive a limited edition TOMICA toy car flown from Japan as a gift. Olympian Kids member with the specified spending amount can receive an exclusive gift. (Limited gifts are available on a first-come first-served basis). Also, selected restaurants at Olympian City will celebrate Christmas with TOMICA Children's Meal. In this holiday season, little TOMICA fans can dine with their favourite TOMICA tableware.

Besides, customers with required Olympian Kids points or an electronic spending totalling the designated amount at two outlets in Olympian City or Coronation Circle are each entitled to redeem a limited special gift from TOMICA including TOMICA die cast car, limited edition TOMICA placemat and TOMICA toy car collection bag.

TOMICA Assembly Factory and Charity SaleTo share the joy with under-privileged persons, Olympian City will hold a toy car charity sale on 3 Jan. to raise funds for children in need. Proceeds from the sale of used toy cars at TOMICA Driving Centre will be donated to "Operation Santa Claus (OSC)" for charitable use. On the other hand, by donating $50 to OSC, customers can also create their own unique TOMICA drawing car! Design their favourite pattern on the special sketch paper and follow the assembly procedure to build their one and only TOMICA toy car!

About Olympian City Widely known as the regional mall for Southwest Kowloon, Olympian City (OC) is home to over 40 F&B outlets, including the Food Garden at OC3 where diners can savour European and Asian cuisines amid an alfresco setting. Lifestyle offerings are also freshened up with the opening of new fashion, beauty, sports, healthcare and kids brands. Moviegoers can enjoy top-notch entertainment at the sky, a cineplex equipped with 4K Dolby Atoms sound systems. Recently, Olympian City has introduced a new loyalty programme, Olympian Kids, to cater to the evolving needs of sophisticated catchment. Fabulous privileges for members include a wide spectrum of tailored activities and workshops to spark kids' potential, widen their vision as well as to develop their creativity.

Olympian City x TOMICA Christmas Journey Program details

TOMICA Christmas Wonderland

Date: 18.11.2015-03.01.2016

Venue: Central Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

Olympian City features the world's first 6-meter TOMICA Christmas tree.

TOMICA Gift Redemption

TOMICA die cast car

Redemption Date: 18.11.2015 until stock lasts

Redemption Time: 12-10pm

Redemption Venue: Concierge, G/F Olympian City 2

Customers with required electronic spending totalling HK$1,000 or above (Sino Club HK$800) at two shops in Olympian City or Coronation Circle (max. 2 printed receipts) are entitled to redeem a TOMICA die cast car.

Customers with required electronic spending totalling HK$800 or above (Sino Club HK$800) at two shops in Olympian City or Coronation Circle (max. 2 printed receipts) are entitled to redeem a limited edition TOMICA placemat

Unleash your driving talent at TOMICA Challenge Corner, to redeem one TOMICA Challenge Corner Game Coupon by presenting a single same-day electronic payment receipt of spending HK$100 or above from any shops at Olympian City or Coronation Circle. Brilliant players who have completed all three games are entitled to have a try on the claw crane for a limited version TOMICA die cast car. (Each receipt can redeem a maximum of 5 game coupons).

Olympian Kids Points ^

Olympian Kids points 100 are entitled to redeem one TOMICA Challenge Corner Game Coupon OR

Olympian Kids points 500 are entitled to redeem Three TOMICA Challenge Corner Game Coupons, and one try on the TOMICA Fun game.

* Limited gifts are available on a first-come first-served basis.

^ Presentation of membership Card is required

TOMICA Creative Studio

Date: 18.11.2015-03.01.2016

Time: 2-8pm (Mon to Fri);

12-10pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Venue: Central Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

"Like" the Facebook page of Olympian City or follow us on Instagram at "olympiancity", then "like" and "share" any post related to the TOMICA Christmas Wonderland to Let your imagination run wild and use magic spray to paint your own distinctive TOMICA die cast car on the giant display screen and send it as Christmas card to your loved ones.

*Quota tags are distributed on a first-come first-served basis in designated time slots

Olympian City x TOMICA Christmas Journey Program details

TOMICA Christmas Pop up Store

Date: 18.11.2015-03.01.2016

Time: 12nn-9pm

Venue: Central Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

The store offers the most comprehensive range of the latest TOMICA products, includes the exclusive limited edition TOMICA event car. Customers with a spending totalling the designated amount can each receive a Japan limited edition TOMICA event car as a gift. Olympian Kids member with the specified spending amount can receive an exclusive gift. (Limited gifts are available on a first-come first-served basis)

* Limited gifts are available on a first-come first-served basis.

TOMICA Parking Lot

Date: 18.11.2015-03.01.2016

Redemption Time: 2-8pm (Mon to Fri);

12-10pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Redemption Venue: Central Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

1:1 Huge TOMICA packing boxes are set up at the car parks, customers drive the same brands of vehicle and park into the corresponding TOMICA box parking are entitled to enjoy 1 hour free parking by presenting the photo sharing on their Facebook or Instagram with hashtag "olympiancity".

Olympian City 2 Parking : Audi, Nissan

Christmas Tree Hunt in the TOMICA Miniature Wonderland

Date: 18.11.2015-29.12.2015

Time: 2-8pm (Mon to Fri);

12-10pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Venue: Central Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

You can undertake a Christmas tree hunt with the exclusive telescopes and get a chance to win the TOMICA limited edition gifts.

Gifts are available in a limited daily quantity on a first-come first-served basis

TOMICA Assembly Factory

Date: 21.11.2015-03.01.2016 (Sat, Sun and PH)

Time: 2-8pm

Venue: Olympian Hall, UG/F Olympian City 1

For the first time ever, TOMICA launches its Drawing Car for you to create your own unique toy car by presenting valid same-day computer-printed receipt(s) of an electronic spending totalling $1,000 at maximum 2 outlets in Olympian City or Coronation Circle or Olympian Kids points 1,000 or by making a HK$50 donation to "Operation Santa Claus HK". Design your favourite pattern on the special sketch paper and follow the assemble procedure to build your one and only TOMICA toy car!

How to join: Customers are eligible to participate once in the race track activity by making a HK$20 donation to "Operation Santa Claus HK".

*Quota tags are distributed on a first-come first-served basis in designated time slots

TOMICA Christmas Kids Meal

Date: 18.11.2015 - 03.01.2016

Selected restaurants at Olympian City will celebrate Christmas with TOMICA Children Meal. In this holiday season, little TOMICA fans can dine with their favourite TOMICA tableware.

Selected restaurants:

Ant One, Gyu-Kaku and Mou Mou Club, Itacho Sushi, UCC Coffee Shop

Charity Sale

Date: 03.01.2016

Time: 2pm-6pm

Venue: North Atrium, G/F Olympian City 2

Olympian City will hold a toy car charity sale on 3 Jan to raise fund for the children in need. Proceeds from the sale of used toy car at TOMICA Driving Centre will be donated to "Operation Santa Claus HK" for charitable use.

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company decreased by 2.5% to US$100.1 million

Gross margin declined from 32.2% to 30.8%

Interim dividend of US17.0 cents per ordinary share, the same as the dividend paid in the corresponding period last year

Strong pipeline of innovative new products

VTech Holdings Limited (HKSE: 303) today announced its results for the six months ended 30 September 2015, reporting further growth in revenue.

Group revenue for the six months ended 30 September 2015 rose by 3.0% over the same period of the previous financial year to US$928.1 million. This was primarily due to higher revenue in North America, Europe and Other Regions, offsetting lower revenue in Asia Pacific. Despite the increase, the strong US dollar depressed the Group's reported revenue during the period.

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company decreased by 2.5% to US$100.1 million. The fall in profit was mainly attributable to the decline in gross margin, which resulted from unfavourable currency movements and a change in product mix. Basic earnings per share decreased by 2.4% to US39.9 cents, compared to US40.9 cents in the corresponding period last year.

The Board of Directors has declared an interim dividend of US17.0 cents per ordinary share, which is the same as the dividend paid in the corresponding period last year.

"In the first six months of the financial year 2016, VTech continued to make progress in its core businesses, despite strong foreign exchange headwinds. In electronic learning products, the business in North America returned to growth while sales in the Asia Pacific region rose sharply. Telecommunication products continued to achieve expansion in commercial phones and other telecommunication products. Contract manufacturing services turned in a good performance, with growth that continues to outpace the global electronic manufacturing services industry[1]," said Mr. Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited.

Costs and Operations

Although material prices decreased slightly over the same period last year, cost of materials rose owing to a change in product mix. Manufacturing overhead also increased, as wages in mainland China continued to rise and the Group added manufacturing capacity. Despite the strong headwinds from foreign exchange movements and wage inflation, VTech was able to reduce the workforce through automation and process improvement, resulting in a stable direct labour cost. Gross margin declined over the same period last year. This was mainly due to the depreciation of currencies against the US dollar, the change in product mix and the higher manufacturing overhead.

Segment Results

North America

Group revenue in North America in the first six months of the financial year 2016 grew by 2.4% to US$461.6 million, supported by higher sales of electronic learning products (ELPs) and contract manufacturing services (CMS). North America is the Group's largest market, accounting for 49.7% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in North America rose by 5.3% to US$148.7 million, as higher sales of standalone products offset lower sales of platform products. VTech retained its position as the number one manufacturer in the Infant and Preschool Electronic Learning category in the US[2].

The growth of standalone products was driven by sales increases in infant products, Go! Go! Smart Wheels® and Go! Go! Smart Animals®, which offset lower sales of Switch & Go Dinos® and preschool products. The launch of new products also supported growth, including Kidizoom® Action Cam, Go! Go! Smart Friends®, Baby Amaze™ and Flipsies™. Flipsies is a brand new product range of transformable dolls and playsets that feature VTech's proprietary MagicPoint™ and MagicChat™ technologies. It began to sell in the US in August and has allowed the Group to expand into a new category.

Sales of platform products, in contrast, decreased. In August, the second generation of VTech's smartwatch, Kidizoom Smartwatch DX, hit the shelves in the US and was well received. However, higher sales of the Kidizoom Smartwatch line were unable to compensate for lower sales of InnoTab® educational tablets, which were affected by the continued contraction of the highly competitive children's tablet market.

VTech ELPs continued to garner prestigious awards in the US during the period. Go! Go! Smart Wheels Ultimate RC Speedway was included in the Toys "R" Us "Hot Toy" list, Walmart's "Chosen by Kids" list, TTPM's "Most Wanted" holiday list, as well as The Toy Insider "Hot 20" list of toys. Kidizoom Smartwatch DX made the "Top Tech 12" list of the most forward-thinking and impressive tech-based toys on the market. Kidizoom Action Cam made "Target's Top Toy List" and "Kmart's Fab 15", while Flipsies Sandy's House & Ocean Cruiser was selected for The Toy Insider's 10th annual holiday gift guide.

Revenue from telecommunication (TEL) products in North America decreased by 7.0% to US$200.2 million. Sales of residential phones were lower, as the fixed-line telephone market has continued to contract. Nonetheless, VTech strengthened its number one position in the US residential phone market[3].

Sales of commercial phones and other telecommunication products, in contrast, continued to rise. Baby monitors led the growth on a strong sell-through and additional product placements. Sales of VTech's four-line small business phone system also increased, as the new series was well received by the market. The VTech branded ErisStation™, a conference phone with wireless microphones, and ErisTerminal™, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) based business phone system, saw steady growth in sales, as the product ranges were completed with the addition of new models.

CMS revenue in North America rose by 19.8% to US$112.7 million. The growth was driven by higher sales of professional audio equipment and industrial products, which offset lower sales of solid-state lighting. Professional audio equipment posted good growth as a major client increased orders after resolving excess inventory issues, while several other customers saw higher demand for their products. Growth in this category also benefited from the addition of new customers. Industrial products recorded higher sales as VTech gained more business following a customer's decision to consolidate suppliers. Sales of solid-state lighting, however, trended lower as the demand for the customers' products decreased.

Europe

Group revenue in Europe in the first six months of the financial year 2016 was up 3.8% to US$373.7 million, mainly due to higher CMS sales. Europe is the second largest market of the Group, representing 40.3% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Europe decreased by 8.7% to US$129.2 million, a decline that was primarily due to the depreciation of the European currencies against the US dollar and lower sales of platform products. Among VTech's key Western European markets, sales in the UK increased, while those in France, Germany and Spain declined. During the first nine months of the calendar year 2015, VTech continued to gain market share and strengthened its position as the number one infant toy manufacturer in France, the UK, Germany and Belgium[4].

In platform products, as in North America the children's educational tablet market remained challenging. The contraction of the market and tough competition led to lower sales of InnoTab/Storio®, which offset higher sales of Kidizoom Smartwatch.

Sales of standalone products in Europe were flat during the period. Toot-Toot Drivers®, Toot-Toot Animals® and Little Love® recorded growth, offsetting the declines in Switch & Go Dinos, infant and preschool products. Kidizoom Action Cam and Flipsies were rolled out to the Group's major European markets during the period, generating incremental sales.

VTech ELPs won acclaim in Europe during the first six months of the financial year 2016. In France, recognition included four "2015 Grand Prix du Jouet" awards presented by La Revue du Jouet magazine. This was the most awards granted to any manufacturer, with Toot-Toot Drivers Super RC Raceway gaining the top "Toy of the Year 2015" award. Toot-Toot Drivers Garage won a gold medal in the UK's prestigious "Independent Toy Awards", while Kidizoom Action Cam was the Belgian Federation of Toys' "Toy of the Year 2015".

TEL products revenue in Europe decreased by 4.1% to US$74.4 million. Sales of residential phones were lower as the fixed-line telephone market has continued to contract. Despite the weak Euro which impacted the Group's customers, sales of commercial phones and other telecommunication products rose significantly.

In commercial phones, sales of CAT-iq (Cordless Advanced Technology -- internet and quality) handsets saw robust growth, as network operators continued to encourage the replacement of traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) services with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services. Sales of ErisStation and ErisTerminal also increased and in September, the Group launched the VTech branded ErisTerminal in the UK market. In other telecommunication products, baby monitors registered respectable growth as VTech increased sales to existing customers and boosted market share. The Group also started selling VTech branded baby monitors in the UK, with the Full Colour Video and Audio model winning a "Silver" award from Right Start magazine. Growth in IADs (Integrated Access Devices) was also strong, as the Group began shipping a high-end device that supports VDSL and dual band 802.11ac to several customers.

CMS revenue in Europe was up 20.8% to US$170.1 million. Sales of hearables, professional audio equipment and home appliances grew, while those of power supplies were stable. Hearables recorded higher sales as VTech increased its revenue share with a major customer, alongside strong market demand for the customer's products. In professional audio, the Group secured more projects from existing customers and there was a sales contribution from new customers. In home appliances, sales to existing customers also recorded an increase.

Asia Pacific

Group revenue in Asia Pacific decreased by 3.1% to US$59.7 million in the first six months of the financial year 2016. Lower sales of TEL products and CMS offset growth in ELPs. The region accounted for 6.4% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Asia Pacific was up 63.0% to US$20.7 million, driven by sales increases in mainland China, Japan and Australia. Mainland China saw strong demand for infant products, Switch & Go Dinos, Go! Go! Smart Wheels and Kidizoom Smartwatch. Increased marketing efforts, expansion of the distribution base and higher online sales accelerated growth. Sales in Japan were buoyed by the launch of Kidizoom Smartwatch. In Australia, sales returned to a growth path following the establishment of the Group's own sales office in the country.

TEL product revenue in Asia Pacific decreased by 26.0% to US$16.5 million as sales weakened in Australia, Japan and mainland China, offsetting growth in Taiwan, India and Hong Kong. In Australia, the Group successfully replaced all Telstra-branded phones with its own brand across all channels during the period. In Japan, sales were lower due to delays in new product launches by customers. In mainland China, demand for residential phones was weak.

CMS revenue in Asia Pacific declined by 15.4% to US$22.5 million. Sales of testing and measurement equipment fell, as the weaker Japanese Yen led the customer to move production back to Japan. The keen competition from mainland Chinese brands faced by customers resulted in lower orders for solid-state lighting, while sales of medical and health equipment trended lower on weakening demand for the customer's products. Sales of home appliances and hearables, however, saw an increase during the period.

Other Regions

Group revenue from Other Regions in the first half of the financial year 2016 grew by 15.3% to US$33.1 million, as higher sales of TEL products and CMS offset lower sales of ELPs. Other Regions, which include Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, represented 3.6% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Other Regions fell by 12.0% to US$8.8 million. Higher sales in the Middle East were offset by lower sales in Africa and Latin America.

TEL products revenue in Other Regions posted 28.8% growth to US$23.7 million, driven by higher sales in the Middle East and Africa.

CMS revenue in Other Regions was US$0.6 million, as compared to US$0.3 million in the same period last year.

Outlook

Given the Group's year-to-date financial results and the continued strong headwinds from currency movements, management expects stable revenue and lower gross margin year-on-year.

ELPs revenue is forecast to be slightly lower year-on-year. Sales of platform products are anticipated to decline, as the business will continue to be affected by declining sales of children's educational tablets. To stabilise the platform business, VTech is introducing a range of innovative platform products in different form factors that aim to capture demand in different market segments. Following Kidizoom Smartwatch DX, a new multi-function handheld device called DigiGo™ hit the shelves in the Group's major European markets in late September. It gives children a handy gadget for text messaging, pictures, videos and music. Furthermore, the Group has launched InnoTV™, an educational TV gaming system designed for preschoolers, which was rolled out in the US and the Group's major European markets in October.

Sales of standalone products, in contrast, are forecast to grow further. The good sell-through of infant products and Go! Go! Smart Family is expected to continue, while Kidizoom Action Cam, Flipsies and Baby Amaze will add incremental sales.

Revenue from TEL products is expected to improve over the first half. Sales of residential phones worldwide are expected to remain slow, but commercial phones and other telecommunication products will continue to grow.

Sales of ErisStation are forecast to accelerate in the second half. The full range reached US shelves in July. The product has been very well received by customers and the Group is recruiting more resellers. ErisTerminal, meanwhile, is expected to grow steadily. Following the UK launch in September, the Group started shipping the VTech branded ErisTerminal to markets in the Middle East. The product will also be rolled out to Eastern Europe later in the second half. In North America, the customer base for ErisTerminal will expand steadily, while the good momentum of the four-line small business phone system will continue. In addition, CAT-iq handsets will maintain their good performance.

In other telecommunication products, the strong momentum in baby monitors will carry into the second half, supported by a new range to be rolled out in both the US and Europe. One of these new models works with ULE (Ultra Low Energy) sensors, enabling users to monitor their children via sound, video and motion. This product will be unique to the market and is expected to stimulate growth further. IADs are forecast to remain on a positive trend, while a new wireless monitoring system will be shipped to US and some Asian Pacific markets in the second half of the financial year.

The good momentum in CMS is anticipated to continue. Sales of professional audio equipment, hearables and home appliances will increase as business with existing customers expands, while new customers add to demand. The switching mode power supplies business is expected to remain stable. Sales of solid-state lighting are expected to decline, as the customers face strong competition. To cater for further expansion, a new manufacturing building for CMS commenced operations in July, adding 25% to production capacity.

"It has been a steady start to the financial year 2016. Going forward, VTech will continue to focus on product innovation, increasing market share, expanding geographically and pursuing operational excellence to enhance shareholder value," said Mr. Wong.

[4] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service. Ranking based on total retail sales of infant toys for the calendar year ending September 2015

About VTech

VTech is the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy to preschool and the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. Founded in 1976, VTech's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high quality products in a manner that minimises any impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community.

After the wild success of Makeblock, an educational robot kit series targeting makers and educators, the Shenzhen-based hardware startup Shenzhen Maker Works Technology Co., Ltd expanded its reach and designed the user-friendly smart robot Gemini, which requires no programming knowledge or assembling efforts on users' behalf.

While standing, Gemini moves like a cute puppy, spreading joy via iridescent LED lights and flashing emoticons, and dancing to music at your command. When Gemini is equipped with a turret and crouches down, however, the robot transforms into a fearless warrior who is ready to combat.

The key to Gemini's accurate signaling and angular actions lies in the self-balancing technology. With one MPU-6050 3-Axis Accelerometer and Gyro working with STM32 MCU, through real-time analysis of related state parameters, Gemini can minimize the displacement both vertically and horizontally, in a timely manner, and control the angular offset with the utmost accuracy, remaining level with ease.

Fluent Intercommunication Together, the 2.4G and Wi-Fi modules offer seamless and timely communication, instantly transmitting and updating all parties' data throughout the game.

High-Sensitivity LED Blue LightInheriting the signature Makeblock blue LED lighting, Gemini improves the transmission efficiency and undermines unstable performance from the reflection of the sun, which is often encountered by IR light-enabled devices. Overall, Gemini offers users an enhanced interactive experience.

Starting at USD $99.00, the team provides different bundles for buyers. "Our mission is to make an 'Apple product' for consumer robot kits," says the founder and robot hobbyist Jasen Wang.

]]>2015-11-04T20:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/135272-0.shtmlSAN JOSE, Calif., November 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EHang, a leading UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology company, today released the newest version of its popular drone, The Ghost 2.0. The Ghost drone, which will be available for direct purchase via the EHang website, for pre-order on Amazon, and soon at Fry's and Hobbico stores, marks a significant step forward in making drone flight an accessible reality for everyday consumers. By marrying approachability with top-line design and engineering, the Ghost 2.0 makes drones a fun and natural way to take to the skies.

The new drone includes several major new features, including:

Tilt Control - The Ghost 2.0's proprietary Tilt Control enables consumers to steer with their phone instead of complex RCA controls or the challenging maneuverability of "point and tap" app navigation. Drone pilots operate the drone through EHang's mobile app, which is compatible with both Apple and Android devices.

VR Goggles - To create a truly immersive flight experience, the goggles let users see directly out of the "eyes" of the drone in real time, allowing pilots to take flight in the "cockpit" of the Ghost 2.0. When combined with Tilt Control, users have precise control the drone without the bulk of additional hardware thanks to the goggles' built-in sensitivity to movement: when you turn your head, the camera turns as well.

Seamless filming - The Ghost's app integration enables its user to control both the drone and its camera simultaneously, removing the hassle of managing both the gimbal and drone separately by two people.

Full-year replacement policy - The Ghost 2.0 was designed with safety and durability in mind. But when accidents happen, EHang's 12-month warranty guarantee ensures consumers will be back in the air as quickly as possible.

"With our first two iterations of the Ghost Drone, we were able to build a strong foundation of both engineering and fans to help shape our vision for the Ghost 2.0," said Derrick Xiong, co-founder and CMO of EHang. "Our mission from the beginning has been to bring drones to everyone, and this brings us closer to that reality. We're just scratching the surface of what drones can do and will continue pushing the envelope and innovating to fully deliver on our vision."

Xiong went on to explain that Ghost Drone 2.0 also opens up the world of aerial filming to fliers of all levels. "With the combination of avatar tilt mode and EHang Virtual Reality Goggle, even amateurs can master advanced aerial filming techniques," he said. "That's because you can use your intuition instead of learning to use a complicated RC transmitter. 2.0 also makes it possible for one person to act as both pilot and cameraman -- a cutting-edge move for the market."

The Ghost 2.0 will initially be sold on the EHang site, available for pre-order on Amazon, and will soon hit the shelves at Fry's and Hobbico stores. The company will offer a $100 discount to the first 100 customers to buy the new version, and will also roll out a trade-up program for owners of the first Ghost drone. For more information, visit www.Ehang.com.

EHang, founded in 2014, is a Chinese aerial technology company with offices in California, Beijing, and Guangzhou. EHang's mission is to help shape the way we connect with the sky. With $10 million raised in its Series A round, and $42 million in its series B, EHang is already on the fast-track to mass market success. Along with a nearly 200 person team and executives from Microsoft and Lenovo, the company has framed itself as the dark horse contender in the competitive drone market that they're seeking to overtake. EHang makes the world's most easily-flown UAV, innovating the way consumers harness UAV technology. With users in over 70 countries, EHang's products open the skies to both new and seasoned fliers around the world. Visit http://www.ehang.com/en/ for more information.

]]>2015-11-03T09:16:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/135057-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Coex's Vietnam Retail and Franchise show (VIETRF) is back and bigger than ever, with expectations to double the attendance of the 2014 show. That means more than 60,000 visitors and more than USD75 million in contracts expected to be signed within a year.

VIETRF is the biggest and only show of its kind in Vietnam and the impressive growth in the 2015 show marks the VIETRF's 7th anniversary. Held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC), the 2014 exhibition saw 207 companies from 12 countries, 380 booths, and 35,622 visitors and buyers from 24 countries.

The success of VIETRF has largely been attributed to the success of its 1:1 biz matching program, where big buyers are invited from neighbour countries (including department stores, marts, shopping centres and investors) and are matched for 1:1 meetings with local businesses. In 2014, there were nearly 5,000 meetings arranged through biz matching program.

In addition to the biz-matching program, there will also be seminars and expert presentations on a variety of topics related to franchise development as well as free consultations from professional consultation businesses regarding logistics, legal considerations and accounting.

Along with VIETRF, Coex will also be organising its 3rd Vietnam International Baby & Kids fair held concurrently at SECC. With 100 companies from 16 companies, the show is recognised as the biggest baby and kids fair in Vietnam.

Why Vietnam?

Vietnam's working class has pushed the country through industrial development and has seen impressive growth in per capita income and a strengthening of the middle class. With growth in the middle class has come a growth in consumption. The demand for premium brands, convenience, and modern franchises is at an all time high.

The food and beverage industry is particularly promising as major brands such as Starbucks, Coffeebean, McDonald's, and Burger King are all expanding into Vietnam as franchises. The scale of the food and beverage industry alone is expected to expand 20% this year.

VIETRF and will be held at the SECC in Ho Chi Min from November 5th - 7th.

About Coex

Coex is Korea's leading exhibition and convention centre as well as the leading exhibition organiser. Coex organises 26 shows in-house every year, including six UFI-approved international shows. With success in Korea's domestic market, Coex has expanded internationally to produce three highly successful shows in Vietnamand China, including VIETRF, the VIETBABYFAIR, and Stylish Life in Chengdu, China.

]]>2015-10-20T21:25:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/133897-0.shtmlBEIJING, October 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas is only 10 weeks away and DHgate.com is fully stocked with the hottest children's gifts at incredibly low prices. Check out DHgate.com's guide to see what kids hope to find under the tree this year.

Movie Characters

Toys from top movies are set to be one of the hottest kids' items this holiday season. Products featuring Minions, Anna and Elsa from Frozen, and other cartoon characters have been popular all year, kids can't wait to get their hands on them!

RC Toys

Kids may be too young to drive a car or fly an airplane, but that doesn't mean they can't practice. Remote control toys let your little tykes get all the racing, zooming, and flying practice they need! Rule the raceway with the Real FX racing cars game, or take to the skies with popular quadcopters and drones!

LED Light Toys

Toys with LED lights are another must-have! Order some glow sticks, lighted gloves, LED bracelets, and glowing flying arrows to give your kids some fun in the dark. They're the perfect toys for summer nights, the basement or even when playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark.

Dolls & Action Figures

Don't forget the most classic toys of all! Kids today still love to play with dolls and action figures. Check out Marvel's and DC Comic's action figures for the boys or get your little girl a new Barbie to go with the Barbie Style Your Way House.

Stuffed Animals

For kids who love something cute and cuddly, you can never go wrong with stuffed animals and plush toys. Some of the most popular plush this year are stuffed giraffes, plush bears, and even finger puppets.

Start stocking up now at DHgate.com sites for easy shopping without leaving your house, you'll have everything ready by the time December rolls around.

About DHgate.com

DHgate is the first mover and the biggest cross border B2B e-commerce marketplace in China. We aim to provide global buyers with quality products at a competitive price. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 10 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.2 million global sellers offering 33 million product listings. Our business enables buyers to access directly to global manufacturers with the world's top brands and rich product selections. DHgate is currently engaging in multiple businesses, like international logistics, cross border payment and internet financing. With US warehouses, 48 hours delivery and a convenient product return & refund policy, DHgate brings great convenience to US buyers athttp://www.dhgate.com/.

SHANGHAI, Sept. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A large-scale laboratory for rapid experimentation with omnichannel techniques and trends that are shaping the future of retail was unveiled today in Shanghai by the Fung Group, a Hong Kong-based multinational with international brands and retail operations across China.

Named "Explorium", the laboratory is an omnichannel platform and exhibition operated by the Fung Group in partnership with data and analytics technology leader IBM, and brand activation company Pico. It is located within more than 23,000 sq m (nearly 250,000 sq ft) of trade exhibition space at LiFung Plaza, where it provides a controlled setting for businesses to observe and explore in real time how consumers interact with new technologies, products and environments.

A magical moment for any child: posing in front of a magic mirror, just one experience at Explorium, the Fung Group's laboratory in Shanghai to explore the future of retail.

Among technologies in the laboratory, which has been functioning on a soft-opening basis for three months, are virtual-reality fitting rooms, magic mirrors that bring images to life and 3D printing for creating customised products. Brands are also using Explorium to understand opportunities in China for their products and services, based on consumer feedback collected and analysed at the laboratory. Retailers are using it to test different store concepts.

More than 200 guests celebrated the launch in Shanghai of Explorium, the Fung Group's laboratory to explore the future of retail.

Unveiling Explorium, Fung Group Chairman Dr. Victor K. Fung said the initiative was sparked by challenges occurring in retail across the world, especially in China.

"Everything we thought we knew about how consumers decide upon what they buy, where they buy, when they buy, how they buy and how they pay is changing," he told more than 200 guests at a launch event attended by leading international and domestic brands and retailers, and mall owners and developers.

"Technology is the catalyst empowering consumers. The Internet and mobile communications are disrupting the way consumers behave and, in so doing, providing unique opportunities for retailing to come up with new business models. Nowhere is this more evident than in China, one of the world's most exciting, challenging retail markets."

Dr. Fung added that he believed the future for retail in China and globally is omnichannel, which is, online-to-offline ("O2O") or a combination of "bricks and clicks".

"Chinese consumers are setting shopping trends globally, especially with their avid use of social media. And Shanghai is home, arguably, to China's most vibrant, tech-savvy consumers. That is why we chose Shanghai as the launch pad for this major Fung Group initiative."

Dr. Fung added that there were no preconceived ideas about which omnichannel business models would emerge from Explorium. "As with most experiments of any lasting value, the greatest measure of success may simply be how much we learn from the results," he said. "A key advantage for participating brands and retailers is that, with Explorium, they can experiment, incubate and iterate at high speed while minimising their cost and risk."

IBM global retail industry leader Mr. Stephen Laughlin said IBM is gathering data in the Explorium and analysing it for insights. "With analytics, IBM can help retailers in the Explorium deliver personalised, relevant marketing interactions to consumers in real-time, delighting them and differentiating the retailer from the competition. Consumers will be able to opt-in to receive offers and rewards from their favorite brands via social media and their mobile device -- all tailored to their location and unique preferences."

Mr. Lawrence Chia, Group Chairman of Pico Far East Holdings Limited, said, "As a state-of-the art omnichannel marketing research laboratory, Explorium delivers substantial value within the omnichannel universe. We are extremely pleased that our unique 360-degree integrated marketing capabilities have played a significant role throughout the planning and implementation of Explorium. Working with leaders from the retail and data technology industries, our strong project team has played a vital part in the strategy, planning and execution of Explorium in areas related to branding, experiential marketing and digital media."

Explorium's Shanghai-based Director Mr. Simeon Piasecki said it is a laboratory for rapidly testing omnichannel business strategies in a realistic environment. "We identify and systematically track the changing preferences of consumers. Based on what we learn from each experiment, we move quickly to the next iteration. Explorium is doing all this on a scale and intensity that we believe is unmatched."

Already, Explorium, which is membership based, has close to 12,000 active participants registered from among employees and family members of the Fung Group and its business partners IBM and Pico. Typically, members spend over three hours there per visit.

"Children are among Explorium's biggest fans," said Mr. Piasecki. "We believe that creating a space where parents and children can bond through learning together and teaching each other will help drive purchases of higher-margin electronic toys, such as drones."

He added that while children's products are a special focus during Explorium's first phase, it will go on to feature women's and men's apparel, and home products. "Explorium's priority in coming months is to design, build, run and measure a greater number and variety of experiments to produce a pool of data that will enable participating brands and retailers to obtain unique insights for their individual businesses," said Mr. Piasecki.

About the Fung Group

The Fung Group is a privately-held multinational group of companies whose core businesses are sourcing, logistics, distribution and retail. The major shareholder is Fung Holdings (1937) Limited, a privately held business entity headquartered in Hong Kong. The Group's listed entities are Li & Fung Limited (SEHK: 00494), Global Brands Group Holding Limited (SEHK: 00787), Convenience Retail Asia Limited (SEHK: 00831) and Trinity Limited (SEHK: 00891). The Fung Group employs 46,800 men and women across 40 economies worldwide, with total revenue of over US$24.65 billion as of December 2014.

Pico is a leading Total Brand Activation company with a worldwide presence and a proven track record nearly half a century long. Leveraging on an international network of more than 2,000 staff in nearly 40 major cities around the globe, we have built an impressive portfolio and a worldwide reputation for creating integrated and powerful brand experiences across multiple activation platforms — from world expos, exhibitions and events; to retail and branded environments, museums and themed environments, visual identity solutions, sports marketing and overlays, venue management and consultation. In 2015, Pico was voted Asia Pacific's Best Event Agency by CEI Asia magazine's CEI Industry Excellence in Business Events survey and won Gold in the B2B Agency category at Marketing Magazine's Agency of the Year Awards in Hong Kong. In North America, Pico was ranked in the top three in Special Events Magazine's 50 Top Event Companies listings for three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014.

Pico Far East Holdings Limited has been listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since 1992 (HKEx Stock Code: 752). Our associate company, Pico (Thailand) Public Company Limited was also listed on Thailand's MAI in 2004 (Stock Code: PICO).

The Big Bridge Build, a year-long project, is the brainchild of the University's School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering. Academics and students created the bridge, with the help of local school children, as part of the university's outreach programme to encourage more children to think about careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

The Bridge is on display as a temporary installation in Belfast's Clarendon Dock, where hundreds turned out to marvel at the stunning construction as they waited to hear the official announcement at 12.30 pm. The project was made possible with the help of Spin Master Corp., the proud owner and producer of Meccano, as well as McLaughlin & Harvey and Aecom who gave valuable advice to the students as well as assisting with the construction and installation of the bridge across the Clarendon Dock.

The students celebrated their achievement by walking across the bridge for the first time, which was officially declared open by Meccano's Meccanoid Robot, much to the delight of attending youngsters.

The project has also attracted the interest of some notable figures, including Dame Athene Donald, (next President of the British Science Association) Lord Richard Rogers (world renowned architect) and Kevin McCloud (Grand Designs) who all sent messages of *support.

Members of the public who attend the event had the opportunity to speak to students and academics, as well as the event sponsors, who were on hand to discuss the bridge build and civil engineering in general. Youngsters were also able to create their own Meccano structures in a dedicated Gazebo sponsored by Smyths Toys Superstores.

Speaking about the achievement Danny McPolin, Senior Structures Lecturer at Queen's School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, said: "This event has been a fantastic way to celebrate the student and staff's incredible work over the past year, but also a chance to show local children more about the exciting courses we offer here at the Queen's University."

He continued: "With a growing skill shortage in Civil engineering, we hope that our work will encourage more children to consider the study of civil engineering and other STEM subjects at University level."

Ben Varadi, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Spin Master Corp., said: "We are truly in awe of this remarkable achievement. Spin Master is incredibly proud that this timeless and iconic toy, invented over a 100 years ago, continues to inspire the world's future architects and engineers."

Paul McCormick, Managing Director, Highways & Bridges, EMEA & India at AECOM, commented: "We are proud to have been involved with the Big Bridge Build project and it's wonderful to see young people getting excited by the fantastic opportunities civil engineering can offer. We hope this event inspires more young people to take up STEM subjects at university level and pursue careers in engineering."

John McCarey, Chief Engineer at Civil Engineering contractor McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd added: "It has been a pleasure to work with Queen's to support these engineers of the future with this exciting project. We have been involved from the start of their world record attempt, providing them with a contractor's insight and bringing our technical expertise to the very particular challenges of this brilliant third year design project. To gain the World Record is the icing on the cake!"

The Guinness World Record 'Big Bridge Build' in Numbers!

Length of Bridge - 28.5 (96ft)

Longest Span of Bridge - 14m

Height of Bridge - 6m (26ft)

Weight - 600kg

Pieces of Meccano – 11,000

Nuts, bolts, washers – 60,000

Total length of Meccano pieces (laid end to end) – 3,835m

This is equivalent to the length of 341 Routemaster buses or the height of 10 Empire State Buildings!

*SUPPORTERS

Professor Dame Athene Donald- Master of Churchill College and Professor of Experimental Physics, University of Cambridge, also announced as the next President of the British Science Association

"Inspiring the engineers of tomorrow - boys AND girls - is so important for the future of the UK's economy, innovation and productivity. Getting these students involved, hands-on, with an exciting project like the Meccano Bridge is an excellent way to achieve this. Good luck with the project!"

Lord Richard Rogers - Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

"Sadly, I won't be able to come to Belfast to view the bridge, but it looks amazing.

It's fantastic to see academics, students and children working together on projects like this. Good luck with the rest of the project."

Kevin McCloud MBE

"I was excited to see what must be the first life-size Meccano bridge in the world. An exemplary feat of engineering. Congratulations!"

Queen's University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of the UK's leading research-intensive universities. It is among the top one per cent of global universities and ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity. Founded by Queen Victoria in 1845, as one of three Queen's Colleges in Ireland, it became an independent university in its own right in 1908 and, today, combines an international academic reputation as a leader in innovation and education. The university has won five Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Further and Higher Education and five Times Higher Education Awards. Leading research facilities include: the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology; the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology; the Institute for the Study of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, and the Institute for Global Food Security. For more information visit www.qub.ac.uk

About Spin Master Corp.

Spin Master (TSX:TOY) is a leading global children's entertainment company that creates, designs, manufactures and markets a diversified portfolio of innovative toys, games, products and entertainment properties. Spin Master is best known for award-winning brands including Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, Air Hogs®, Spin Master Games™ and the 2015 Toy of the Year, Zoomer™ Dino. Since 2005, Spin Master has received 58 TIA Toy of The Year (TOTY) nominations with 14 wins across a variety of product categories. Spin Master has been recognized with 11 TOTY nominations for Innovative Toy of the Year, more than any of its competitors. Spin Master is among a limited number of companies that not only develop and produce global entertainment properties, characters and content, but also monetize that content through the creation, sale and licensing of products. To date, Spin Master has produced five television series, including the 2007 hit series Bakugan and its current hit PAW Patrol, which is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories globally. Spin Master employs over 850 people globally with offices in Canada, United States, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Bratislava, Germany, Holland, Mexico, mainlandChina, Hong Kong and Japan.

About McLaughlin and Harvey

McLaughlin and Harvey were founded in 1854 and are a privately owned Building and Civil Engineering Contractor with a wide portfolio of successful projects across the UK. Based in Mallusk, near Belfast, Northern Ireland we carry out a wide range of civil engineering projects with particular expertise in marine, road, bridge and rail projects. With approximately 700 employees and annual turnover in excess of £400m McLaughlin and Harvey are one of the leading contractor's in Northern Ireland. This project builds on a long standing relationship between ourselves and QUB having worked together on numerous research projects and student development. McLaughlin and Harvey have supported this project through the provision of advice and technical support to the QUB team in addition to developing the safe construction and installation methodology.

]]>2015-09-10T16:15:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/130647-0.shtmlLONDON, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Funtastic, is a global innovation house with offices in the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Mainland China.

Leo Messi in action using FootBubbles from Funtastic.

Funtastic Ltd and Leo Messi Management S.L.U. have signed a landmark deal to develop an exclusive toy from his own Messi branded range of products, which will put a smile on the faces of millions of children around the globe.

Messi, the undisputed champion of international football, the winner of 4 FIFA Ballon d'Or (Golden Balls) and the world's number one player will become the face of this innovative product line, Leo Messi FootBubbles by Funtastic.

Funtastic's revolutionary product turns the regular bubble into a bubble that can be juggled with your feet. The secret is the winning combination of FootBubbles Super Solution and Messi socks.

Funtastic CEO Nir Pizmony said "Signing Messi is the culmination of months of planning and negotiation, it's an exciting chapter for Funtastic and we have now set a high benchmark for the global Toy industry. Having the most talented football player in the world in our corner gives Funtastic tremendous fire power, and we can't wait to go to market with the Messi branded products. This is a very exciting time."

Leo Messi and his management team are also very excited to launch Leo Messi FootBubbles. They commented "It's an honor that a company with such long experience in the toy industry, of more than 20 years, wanted to form a joint venture with us to develop a new range of toys. Our association with Funtastic has only just begun, and we look forward to building this relationship."

Key retailers within the Funtastic global distribution footprint have been ecstatic about the news, and support for the products has been overwhelming. Messi branded toys land in Australiamid-September 2015, with other countries to follow immediately.

]]>2015-08-28T21:00:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/129763-0.shtmlSEOUL, South Korea, August 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Korea's ball-jointed dolls (dolls made with round joints to allow free movement) made with delicate skills have captured the eyes of doll enthusiasts of the world.

Ball-jointed doll were first made by a German plastic artist, and they have developed into today's form through the techniques used by Japanese traditional doll makers since the 1980's. Over the years, the overseas market for this particular type of dolls has grown quite large, including America, Japan, and Russia.

The products of 'Aileen Doll (http://aileendoll.com),' the largest specialty shop for ball-jointed dolls in Korea, are the typical "made in Korea" dolls with their own designs and stories. The "story" starts with the planning stage, and once the character is developed, they develop different "series" of that particular doll. They operate on the build-to-order system since all products are 100% handmade. Customers are willing to wait for their products despite the long production period, which usually lasts for 2~3 months.

The company is receiving orders throughout the world including America, Russia, Japan, Spain, and Belarus. For the solid story line and exquisite representation of the expressions and colors, customers willingly promote Alieen Doll products all around the world. For example, a customer in Spain sent pictures that she took with her doll at her wedding and ordered dolls for her friends as gifts.

The popular item, the Dragon Series, even has its own community in Flicker, the online photograph sharing site of Yahoo America. Many customers boast about how they use the Dragon Series in their everyday lives through the photos they have posted.

"New products are sold out within 1~2 weeks regardless of the high price due to the scarcity and possessiveness," said President of Alieen Doll, Beom-soo Kim, "I am quite pleased to see customers around the world creating their own internet communities where they share their experiences with their dolls, and thus, create a new form of entertainment."

Aileen Doll operates an online shopping mall in English using the services of cafe24 (www.cafe24.com), the largest Korean hosting company, and will be opening the Japanese version of its online shopping mall soon.

Ty has pledged 100% of profits from the original sale to WildCRU, the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit of University of Oxford in Oxford England.

"Hopefully, this special Beanie Baby will raise awareness for animal conservation and give comfort to all saddened by the loss of Cecil," said Ty Warner.

About Ty Inc.Ty Inc. is the largest manufacturer of plush in the world. Peek-a-Boo's are the latest innovation from Ty, allowing you to use your phones hands-free and eliminate "tech neck". For more information visit Ty.com

About WildCRUThe mission of WildCRU, founded at the University of Oxford in 1986 by Prof David Macdonald, is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research. WildCRU's work spans many species in many countries around the world. David and Dr Andrew Loveridge set up the Hwange lion study in Zimbabwe in 1999 and it is one of the longest running and most detailed lion conservation projects in Africa.www.wildcru.org

This highly anticipated exhibition, organized by Artaaj Events, will showcase almost three times the number of unique and exciting products that it had featured last year. Big Boys Toys features products from 10 different categories that include Drive, Ride, Off-road, Marine, Aviation, Adventure, Wellness, Fashion, Lifestyle and Digital - a complete experience that caters to every facet of refined living.

Commenting on the 2015 edition, Biju Jayaraaj - Chief Executive Officer of Artaaj, said: "Big Boys Toys is a platform for innovators worldwide to showcase their unique and spectacular products to a captive audience under one roof that cannot be found elsewhere in the world. Big Boys Toys brings an exclusive, upper crust clique who have the purchasing power to buy these products."

Big Boys Toys boasts a visitor profile featuring over 40,000 high net worth visitors from across the GCC with over 40% Emiratis expected to attend the show this year. On the VIP day (18th November), up to 2000 ultra HNWI guests from business heads to members of the royal family and other luminaries are anticipated.

This year will see the launch of the 'Innovation, Design and Technology Summit and Awards', discussing the latest designs, trends and technology - recognizing and bringing together global leaders in innovation.

Some of the launches at Big Boys Toys include a $250,000Bienville Legacy motorbike marvel from the ADMCi Foundation, top of the range luxury yachts from Team Nine, custom superboats from Hydrasport, $1 million handmade bespoke safe boxes from Doettling and the MK1 personal submersibles.

Also launching in 2015 is the Big Boys Toys 'Style Icon' with a grand prize going to the most well-dressed male and female visitor at the event. The hugely popular 'Supercars Test Drive Pit' that allows visitors to choose from and drive a range of supercars will return this year with 50 supercars including Lamborghini, Ferrari and more.

]]>2015-06-22T08:30:00+08:00http://en.prnasia.com/story/124736-0.shtmlBEIJING, June 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- China Kids Expo, which runs from October 20 to 22 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, will feature manufacturers of export quality strollers, car seats, cribs, ride-on products, toys and other baby products. The most professional baby products fair in mainland China, it is jointly organized by China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (CTJPA) and Koelnmesse. It offers a compelling selection of Chinese suppliers to buyers from around the globe.

As the biggest fair of baby strollers, car seats, cribs, ride-on products and toys, China Kids Expo 2015 will feature 1,400 factories, the largest number of Chinese suppliers ever assembled under one roof and many of them are not exhibit at other fairs.

The exhibitors include small, medium, and large factories mostly from 19 major Chinese production regions, including Kunshan, Ningbo, Pinghu and Cixi in East China, Zhongshan, Dongguan in South China, and Pingxiang in North China etc. Till now, the new exhibitors in 2015 reached 40%, it is the only show in the world where the Chinese production regions make joint appearances.

In addition, the exhibitors are export-ready manufacturers, meaning they have years of experience filling international orders and enforcing quality control. They offer a not-to-be-missed opportunity for international buyers to access a comprehensive array of quality products.

Visitor pre-registration of China Kids Expo 2015 is now open to all trade visitors:

China Toy & Juvenile Products Association (CTJPA) is the not-for-profit trade association representing the interests of Chinese toy and juvenile products manufacturers. CTJPA is the only China's official representative in the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) and a member of the governance board of the ICTI Care Process. The government, the trade, the media and consumers recognize CTJPA as the authoritative voice of industry. CTJPA was founded in 1986 as the China Toy Association. Total registered members are over 5,000. www.tjpa-china.org

Koelnmesse has the world's fifth-largest exhibition complex and organizes approximately 75 trade fairs in Cologne and all over the world. As organizer of the world renowned Kind+Jugend in Cologne, Germany, Koelnmesse has keep deep knowledge about the industry and an extensive network to its decision maker. www.koelnmesse.com

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company down 2.8% to US$198.1 million

Gross profit margin declined to 32.5%, from 33.4% in the last financial year

Strong financial position, with deposits and cash of US$294.2 million, and debt free

Final dividend of US61.0 cents per ordinary share, providing a full-year dividend of US78.0 cents per ordinary share, a 2.5% decrease over last year

Strong pipeline of new products

VTech Holdings Limited (HKSE: 303) today announced its results for the year ended 31 March 2015, reporting a decline in revenue and profit.

Group revenue for the year ended 31 March 2015 declined by 1.0% to US$1,879.8 million. The decrease was mainly due to lower revenue in North America, which offset higher revenue in Europe, Asia Pacific and Other Regions.

Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company decreased by 2.8% to US$198.1 million, as gross profit declined because of a change in product mix and the weaker-than-expected performance of children's educational tablets. Basic earnings per share fell by 3.0% to US78.9 cents, compared to US81.3 cents in the previous financial year.

The Board of Directors has proposed a final dividend of US61.0 cents per ordinary share, providing a full-year dividend of US78.0 cents per ordinary share, a 2.5% decrease over the US80.0 cents per ordinary share declared in the financial year 2014.

"In the financial year 2015, VTech continued its drive for product innovation and expanded its presence in existing and new markets, while continuing to raise levels of productivity. Telecommunication products returned to growth and contract manufacturing services again performed well. However, electronic learning products faced challenges in the children's tablet market, affecting the Group's revenue and profitability," said Mr. Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited.

Costs and Operations

Cost of materials remained largely unchanged in the financial year 2015 and a weakening of the Renminbi against the US dollar helped reduce costs. Despite wage inflation in China, labour costs and manufacturing overheads were also slightly lower as the Group continued to improve productivity through automation, process improvement and product optimisation. As a result, in the financial year 2015, the number of workers fell by a further 4.7% over the previous financial year. Despite these positive factors, the Group's gross margin declined year-on-year due to a change in product mix and the weaker-than-expected performance of children's educational tablets, which resulted in higher-than-anticipated trade allowances and increased stock provision.

Operations Review

North America

Group revenue in North America decreased by 5.4% to US$899.5 million in the financial year 2015. Lower revenues from ELPs and CMS offset higher revenue from TEL products. North America remained VTech's largest market, accounting for 47.8% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in North America decreased by 16.2% to US$300.0 million, as sales of both platform and standalone products declined. Nevertheless, in the calendar year 2014, VTech became the number one manufacturer in Infant and Preschool Electronic Learning toys in the US market[1].

In platform products, sales of VTech's InnoTab® range of educational tablets suffered from higher-than-expected channel inventory and severe competition, heightened by the contraction of the children's tablet market[2]. In July 2014, VTech launched Kidizoom® Smartwatch, the world's first smartwatch for children with a built-in camera, in the US. It achieved strong sales and was recognised in numerous top toy lists.

Standalone products showed a slight sales decline, as retailers tightened inventory management. Strong growth of the Go! Go! Smart family of products was offset by lower sales of the core infant and preschool learning products. Switch & Go Dinos® also recorded a sales decrease as the product line matured. During the financial year 2015, Go! Go! Smart Wheels® was extended with the introduction of new models. The launch of Go! Go! Smart Animals™ nationwide, coupled with the exclusive launch of Go! Go! Smart Friends® in partnership with Toys"R"Us, added incremental sales. The Go! Go! Smart Animals Zoo Explorers Playset won the prestigious "2015 Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year (TOTY) Award" from the American Toy Industry Association.

TEL products revenue in North America rose by 4.4% to US$416.0 million. The increase was driven by higher sales of commercial phones and other telecommunication products, offsetting a slight sales decline in residential phones.

Commercial phone sales continued to grow, as a result of higher sales of VTech's small-to-medium sized business (SMB) phones and cordless headsets. This was augmented by the launch of ErisStation™, the Group's first conference phone with wireless microphones, and ErisTerminal™, its SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone systems. Hotel phones also reported higher sales, as VTech continued to win new installations from global hotel brands. In other telecommunication products, baby monitors recorded a strong sales increase. The Group expanded its distribution channels and gained more placements, as major retailers began to replace older analogue models with VTech's more advanced digital baby monitors.

Sales of residential phones, however, recorded a slight decline owing to the further contraction of the fixed-line telephone market. Despite this, VTech maintained its number one position in the US residential phones market[3]. The Group continued to gain retail shelf space and expand sales channels.

The revenue from CMS in North America decreased by 5.4% to US$183.5 million, as sales declines in professional audio equipment and communication products were only partially offset by higher sales of solid-state lighting, industrial products, home appliances and medical and health products.

Sales of professional audio equipment declined as an existing customer placed fewer orders in response to over-inventory and completed transferring the manufacture of one product family to its own facility, where there was excess capacity. Sales of communication products also decreased, as a client's product line reached the end of its life cycle. In contrast, sales of solid-state lighting and industrial products grew, as a customer ramped up orders in solid-state lighting. VTech has also started to become the sole supplier to an existing industrial products customer. Home appliances posted good growth as a customer expanded its sales channels. Medical and health products recorded higher sales owing to new product launches by customers.

Europe

Group revenue in Europe increased by 2.6% to US$812.3 million in the financial year 2015. Higher sales of TEL products and CMS offset a sales decline in ELPs. Europe was VTech's second largest market, accounting for 43.2% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Europe decreased by 6.0% to US$362.6 million, as higher sales of standalone products failed to offset a decrease in sales of platform products. The depreciation of the Euro and Pound Sterling against the US dollar during the financial year 2015 also negatively impacted the reported revenue. Among the Group's key Western European markets, sales in Germany increased, while those in the UK, France and Spain declined.

For platform products, VTech's educational tablet InnoTab/Storio® faced similar challenges as in North America, namely, high channel inventory and market contraction. Despite this, InnoTab/Storio remained the best-selling children's tablet in Europe, and regained the number one position among all toys in the top five European markets in the calendar year 2014[4]. Kidizoom Smartwatch was introduced to the Group's major European markets in June 2014 and performed well, becoming one of the top 10 best-selling new toys in the UK in 2014[5]. It was also selected as one of the "Top 12 Dream Toys 2014" by the British Toy Retailers Association.

For standalone products, growth was driven by the Toot-Toot family of products. New models were added to the popular Toot-Toot Drivers® range, while Toot-Toot Animals® was launched in VTech's key European markets. In the calendar year 2014, VTech again increased its market share and strengthened its position as the number one infant toy manufacturer in France, the UK and Germany, while becoming the largest infant toy manufacturer in Spain[6].

Among new products, the Group launched Kidizoom® Action Cam in its major European markets in March 2015. This latest addition to the popular Kidizoom range of cameras has been well received by customers. In the fourth quarter of the financial year 2015, new models of Little Love®, a range of interactive baby dolls, hit the shelves. They met with an especially positive reception in France, where the new Peek-a-Boo doll became the best-selling nurturing doll of Spring 2015[7].

Revenue from TEL products in Europe increased by 2.0% to US$157.4 million, as higher sales of commercial phones and other telecommunication products offset a sales decline in residential phones.

For commercial phones, sales of SIP phones increased as VTech continued to expand its distribution channels. Sales of CAT-iq handsets enjoyed strong growth as Network Operators continue to encourage the replacement of traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) services with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services. Sales of baby monitors increased as the Group introduced new video models, completing a full range of products for the market.

Sales of residential phones were lower, mainly due to the decline of the fixed-line telephone market. Despite this, VTech maintained its market share as one of the leading cordless phone manufacturers in the region[8].

CMS revenue in Europe increased by 16.1% to US$292.3 million, driven by higher sales in most product categories. Sales of wireless headsets saw growth as VTech secured more orders from existing customers. One client placed additional orders in recognition of good customer service while another launched new products that were well-received by the market. Sales of switching mode power supplies were higher as an existing customer increased orders in a new business area for data centres, and in response to the region's general upgrade from 3G to 4G technology. Sales of home appliances rose owing to more orders from an existing customer in Italy. Sales of professional audio equipment, however, registered a decline, as a client transferred products requiring custom configuration to in-house production.

Asia Pacific

Group revenue in Asia Pacific increased by 8.0% to US$117.6 million in the financial year 2015, with higher sales in all three product lines. Asia Pacific accounted for 6.3% of Group revenue.

Revenue from ELPs in the Asia Pacific increased by 21.6% to US$25.9 million, on the back of growth in mainland China, Hong Kong and Korea. The growth in mainland China was driven by the continued good performance of Switch & Go Dinos, together with the introduction of Go! Go! Smart Wheels and Kidizoom Smartwatch. In Hong Kong, growth was seen in all product categories as the Group increased its sales and marketing efforts. Further inroads were made in Korea, following the expansion of the distribution network. Sales in Australia recorded a decline as VTech completed the transition from the previous distribution arrangement for ELPs to its own sales office, positioning itself for future growth.

TEL products revenue increased by 4.6% to US$43.0 million. Sales growth was recorded in Australia and Japan, the Group's major markets in Asia Pacific. Sales in Australia rose as residential phones and baby monitors recorded higher sales. For residential phones, VTech increased market share as a result of gaining more retail shelf space, while baby monitors were supported by the expansion of distribution channels in the country. Higher sales were achieved in Japan as a customer launched new models. The Group also made inroads in Thailand, Malaysia and Korea.

CMS revenue in Asia Pacific increased by 4.7% to US$48.7 million, driven by higher sales of wireless products, medical and health products and solid-state lighting. Sales of wireless products posted good growth, driven by increased orders of wireless headsets and the sales contribution from a new customer. Sales of medical and health products increased, as a customer in Japan benefited from the weaker Japanese Yen and achieved higher sales. Growth in solid-state lighting was supported by additional orders arising from the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China in the first half of the financial year 2015.

Other Regions

Group revenue in Other Regions, namely Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, rose by 6.1% to US$50.4 million in the financial year 2015. Other Regions accounted for 2.7% of Group revenue.

ELPs revenue in Other Regions increased by 10.4% to US$14.8 million, as a sales decline in the Middle East was offset by higher sales in Latin America and Africa.

TEL products revenue in Other Regions increased by 6.7% to US$35.1 million, with higher sales in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

CMS revenue in Other Regions was US$0.5 million in the financial year 2015, as compared to US$1.2 million in the previous financial year.

Product innovation is the key to VTech staying ahead of the competition in fast-changing markets.

With regard to ELPs, the Group has a strong pipeline of products. In standalone products, the successful Go! Go! Smart family is being expanded through the introduction of different themes, more vehicles and more playsets. In the US, Go! Go! Smart Friends, which was launched exclusively with Toys"R"Us last year, will be introduced nationwide in the calendar year 2015. VTech will also enter new aisles by launching new categories of product. The global launch of Flipsies™, a range of transformable dolls and playsets, will enable the Group to penetrate into the girl aisle. VTech is also successfully breaking into the dolls aisle with a range of interactive dolls, branded Little Love® in Europe and Baby Amaze™ in the US, which was first launched in the European markets in June 2014. Kidizoom Action Cam, the latest addition to VTech's range of cameras for children, will also be launched globally in the calendar year 2015. For core learning products, VTech will continue to broaden and refresh its product portfolio, adding over 100 new models worldwide.

The portfolio of platform products will become more diversified. The Group will build on the success of Kidizoom Smartwatch to roll out a new generation of this popular product. The calendar year 2015 will also see the launch of new innovative platform products. Despite recent challenges, VTech intends to stay in the children's tablet market as it remains a sizeable business around the world. Market research shows that parents are still looking for VTech tablets, as they are specifically designed for children, with content that is both educational and engaging. The Group will focus on bringing out tablet products that are even more compelling for both children and their parents.

In TEL products, commercial phones and other telecommunication products will continue to be the growth drivers. New models will be introduced for ErisTerminal and ErisStation to complete a full product range for VTech SIP phone systems and conference phones. The highly successful baby monitor range will be expanded with new video models boasting a bigger screen, as well as Wi-Fi enabled devices. The Group is also planning to enter the "Smart Home" arena by launching a range of wireless monitoring devices based on the ULE (Ultra Low Energy) standard. These products include specially designed, ULE enabled cordless phones, IP hubs, baby monitors and a high-definition Wi-Fi camera, which wirelessly connect to a range of ULE controls and sensors. In residential phones, the Group will continue to launch feature-rich products with superior design to strengthen its global leadership in cordless phones.

VTech CMS enjoys an enviable reputation for service and expertise in certain product categories. Supported by a stringent quality control system and an experienced management team, the Group will continue to innovate in the area of Design for Manufacture (DFM), delivering flexible service and high quality products. Competence in handling low to medium volumes and a high mix of different products enables VTech to grow with new customers from a small base, which is an important factor in the continuous growth of CMS.

Gains in Market Share

In addition to developing a steady stream of innovative products and breaking into new product categories, VTech strives to increase market share through improving services and increasing its efforts in sales and marketing.

In the calendar year 2014, VTech gained market share and reaffirmed its position as the number one cordless phone manufacturer worldwide[9]. The Group also strengthened its position as the global leader in ELPs from infancy and preschool[10]. VTech CMS continued to be one of the world's top 50 EMS providers[11].

Geographic Expansion

As markets outside North America and Europe currently account for less than 10% of Group revenue, VTech will put more emphasis on expanding in Asia Pacific and Other Regions. In Asia Pacific, the Group will focus on increasing its presence in China and Australia, where its products have been well received. Recently, VTech has established its own sales office for ELPs in Australia, aiming to drive growth by providing better support to its retailer customers and increasing sales and marketing efforts. The Group has also started selling residential phones under the VTech brand in Australia, following the expiry of the licensing agreement with Telstra in December 2014. The Group will step up its efforts to extend its reach into Japan and Korea. In Other Regions, selected markets in Latin America and the Middle East will continue to be developed.

Operational Excellence

Operational excellence is crucial for raising competitiveness and driving profitable growth. As wages in China continue to rise and recruitment becomes more difficult, VTech will increase automation by deploying more standard and in-house custom-made machines. Together with continuous process improvement and the optimisation of products for manufacturing, this will allow the Group to reduce the number of workers further while increasing output.

Outlook

The US economy continues its moderate recovery. However, the prospects for Europe are uncertain and quantitative easing by the European Central Bank has already led to a significant depreciation of the Euro, which will have a negative impact on our European revenue.

Despite a mixed picture, the Group is planning for a modest revenue increase in the financial year 2016.

The business of ELPs is expected to be stable. Sales of platform products are forecast to decline, as the children's tablet market remains challenging. The sales contribution of children's educational tablets will become smaller year-on-year, while Kidizoom Smartwatch will continue to grow. Furthermore, new innovative platform products will contribute additional revenue streams. Standalone products are forecast to grow, bolstered by the expansion of the Go! Go! Smart family, nationwide distribution of Go! Go! Smart Friends in the US and the launch of Kidizoom Action Cam and Flipsies worldwide. Extension of the Little Love/Baby Amaze line will enable VTech to increase its presence in the dolls category in Europe, while winning shelf space in the US. The new core infant and preschool learning products will strengthen the Group's leadership position in these categories.

TEL products are expected to maintain their positive sales trend, led by commercial phones and other telecommunication products. In commercial phones, the Group will benefit from the full deployment of CAT-iq (Cordless Advanced Technology - internet and quality) handsets in major European countries such as France, Germany and Switzerland. The introduction of the new conference phones and SIP phone models will further stimulate growth. VTech is also stepping up its efforts on the interoperability of its SIP based products with Network Operators, which will boost market presence further. Higher sales of other telecommunication products will come from the strong momentum of baby monitors, as sales channels are expanded and further new products introduced. The global launch of the wireless monitoring system will add incremental sales. Despite the continued decline of the overall fixed-line telephone market, sales of VTech residential phones are forecast to be stable as the Group is maintaining its leading position in North America and Europe, while growing its market share in Asia Pacific and Other Regions.

Sales of CMS are expected to increase. Professional audio equipment is on track to return to a growth path. The customer who faced excess inventory has worked through the issue and intends to increase orders. Business with other professional audio customers will grow, as VTech secures more projects owing to its service excellence. The Group also added new clients in professional audio equipment in the last financial year, who will ramp up orders gradually in this financial year. Wireless headsets will achieve further growth as existing customers launch new products. VTech's strong reputation in the wireless product area enables the Group to enter new product categories, such as smart hearable and wearable devices. Business from solid-state lighting will remain stable. In contrast, the change of ownership of a customer in switching mode power supplies creates uncertainty. To cope with the growth, a new factory building has been built for CMS. It will commence operations in July 2015, increasing manufacturing capacity by 25%.

On gross margin, the Group does not anticipate any improvement year-on-year against the backdrop of the strong US dollar. Cost of materials is expected to be stable and the Renminbi to remain in a narrow range. Labour costs and manufacturing overheads in China will rise further. The Group will continue to offset these cost increases through automation, process improvement and product optimisation.

"VTech has a culture rooted in innovation and technology. Our market leadership, R&D capability, strong balance sheet and operational efficiency differentiate us from our competitors. We will continue to bring out innovative products, increase market share, expand geographically and strive for operational excellence to generate sustainable returns for shareholders," said Mr. Wong.

Notes :

[1] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service. Ranking based on total retail sales in the combined toy categories of infant electronic learning, other infant toys and preschool electronic learning for the 12 months ending December 2014

[2] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service

[3] Source: MarketWise Consumer Insights, LLC

[4] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service. Ranking based on total retail sales of InnoTab/Storio by unit for the combined market of France, the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy

[5] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service

[6] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service

[7] Source: NPD Group, Retail Tracking Service. Ranking based on total retail sales of all nurturing dolls in France by unit from January to April 2015

VTech is the global leader in electronic learning products from infancy to preschool and the world's largest manufacturer of cordless phones. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. Founded in 1976, VTech's mission is to design, manufacture and supply innovative and high quality products in a manner that minimises any impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for its stakeholders and the community.